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1136495 


GENEALOGV  COLLECnOK 


OLD  HALLOWELL  ON  THE  KENNEBEC 


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the  Internet  Archive 

in  2014 

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OLD    HALLOWELL  1 

a  i  h  £/ 

ON  THE 

KENNEBEC 

BY 

EMMA   HUNTINGTON  NASON 

AUTHOR    OF    "WHITE   SAILS,"   "THE    TOWER  WITH 
L.iHj  C.IN  Ua    AINU    LiKiv^o,         UL.L>    CU  J-.UIN  1 AJ-. 
HOUSES   IN   MAINE,"  ETC. 

1 1 1 u  s  tv  dt  e  d 

I 

AUGUSTA,  MAINE 
1909 

Copyright,  igog 
Emma  Huntington  Nason- 


Press  of 
Burleigh  &  Flynt 
Augusta,  Me. 


1136495 


TO  MY  SON 
ARTHUR  HUNTINGTON  NASON 
THIS  STORY 
OF  THE  HOME  OF  HIS  ANCESTORS 
IS  AFFECTIONATELY 
DEDICATED 


PREFACE 


HE  purpose  of  this  volume  is  to  tell  the  story  of  the  old 
town  of  Hallowell  from  the  time  of  its  earliest  settle- 
ment to  its  incorporation  as  a  city  in  1852,  and  to  give 
a  picture  of  the  life  of  the  people  at  that  period  when 
Hallowell  was  at  the  height  of  its  commercial  prosperity  and 
famous  as  a  social  and  literary  center.  The  book  contains 
biographical  sketches  of  the  eminent  founders  of  the  town,  and 
of  the  notable  men  and  women  who  maintained  its  moral,  intel- 
lectual, and  social  status ;  and  also  presents  a  record  of  those 
institutions  that  contributed  to  the  general  upbuilding  of  the 
community. 

It  has  long  been  conceded,  by  recognized  authorities,  that 
the  early  annals  of  Hallowell  are  of  remarkable  interest  and  of 
unusual  historic  value.  Therefore,  with  the  hope  that  these  veri- 
table yet  romantic  records  may  appeal  to  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  the  Kennebec  valley,  wherever  they  may  be,  and  also  to  the 
general  reader  who  would  enjoy  for  a  season  the  characteristic 
atmosphere  of  an  exceptionally  favored  old  New  England  town, 
this  story,  as  illumined  by  the  traditions  of  the  fathers,  is  now 
inscribed  upon  these  pages. 

To  those  loyal  friends  of  Old  Hallowell,  to  whom  I  am 
indebted  for  the  use  of  valuable  family  papers,  manuscript 
letters,  copies  of  rare  old  portraits,  and  for  most  cordial  encour- 
agement in  the  making  of  the  book,  appreciative  acknowledg- 
ments are  here  gratefully  rendered.  To  Miss  Annie  F.  Page 
and  Miss  Sophia  B.  Oilman,  who  have  placed  tjie  resources  of 
the  Hubbard  Free  Library  and  the^r  own  invaluable  collections 
of  local  historical  matter  at  my  disposal,  and  who  have  given  me 
their  constant  personal  assistance  in  my  researches,  an  expres- 
sion of  gratitude  is  here  especially  due.  To  all  of  those  lovers 
and  friends  of  the  old  town  from  whom  messages  of  enthusiastic 
interest  in  my  work  have  frequently  been  received,  I  this  day 
send  out,  with  the  story  of  Old  Hallowell,  thanks — and  greeting! 

E.  H.  N. 

Augusta,  Maine. 
November  25,  1909. 


I 


ij 


I; 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 


PrEi^ace   vii 

Tabi,e  of  Contents   ix 

List  of  Ii,i,ustrations   xi 

HAi;i,owFi«iy,  Prelude   xiii 

I.   Ancient  Koussinok   i 

II.   The  First  Setti^ers   15 

III.  Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook   25 

IV.  Kvery-Day  Life  and  Rei*igious  Services  of  the 

Period    40 

V.   The  Division  of  the  Town   55 

VI.   Sources  of  Hai,i,owei*i*'s  Prosperity  ....  67 

VII.   The  Vaughan  Famii^y   73 

VIII.  John  Merrick,  Esq   99 

IX.   Representative  Famii^ies   107 

X.   The  Lawyers  of  Hai,i,owei,i,   136 

XI.   Later  Representative  Famines   160 

XII.   The  Oi,d  South  Church   193 

XIII.  The  Hai,i.owei*i,  Academy  and  Other  Schooi^s  .      .  20& 

XIV.  The  Libraries  of  Hai,i,owei.i,   229 

XV.   Oi,D  Books  and  Newspapers  .      .      .      ,      .      .  242 

XVI.  The  Harmonic  Society,  tpe  Theater,  and  the 

Lyceum   259 

XVII.  SociAi.  Life  of  Oi,d  HAi^i^owEiyi,   265 

XVIII.   Romantic,  Quaint,  and  Interesting  Characters  .  290 

XIX.   Hai.i,owei<i<'s  **  Chief  Citizens"   307 

XX.   Shipping  and  Ship-Masters  of  Hai,i.owei;i.      .      .  319 

XXI.  The  Pubwc  Interests  of  HAi^i^owEiyi,       .     .     .  331 

Index   347 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Hai^IvOwei,!.  on  the  Kennebec  *      .      .      .  Frontispiece 

View  From  Powder  House  Hii,!,   15 

The  Oi,d  Powder  House  *   18 

O1.D  Fort  Western   25 

Judge  Daniei<  Cony   28 

Mrs.  Susanna  Curtis  Cony   30 

The  Vaughan  Brook   36 

Ancient  Boundary  Line   55 

The  Pines  on  Ferry  H11.1.   67 

Samuei.  Vaughan,  Esq.,  and  Famii^y   73 

Mrs.  Sarah  Hai^i^owei^i.  Vaughan   74 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vaughan   78 

Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan   80 

Mrs.  Sarah  Manning  Vaughan   82 

Octagon  Room  in  the  Vaughan  Mansion  *   84 

Chari^es  Vaughan,  Esq   94 

Mrs.  Frances  Apthorp  Vaughan   96 

The  Vaughan  Memoriai.  Bridge  *   98 

John  Merrick,  Esq  .100 

The  Merrick  Cottage,  North  and  South  View  ....  104 

From  Drawings  in  Water-Color  by  John  Vaughan  Merrick 

Henry  Goodwin  Vaughan,  Esq   106 

From  Portrait  by  Charles  Hopkinson 

Mrs.  Mary  K11.TON  Dummer  and  Judge  NathanieIv  Dummer   .  108 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Page   116 

Residence  of  Rufus  k.  Page  /.      .  .118 

Residence  of  Preceptor  Samuei.  Moody  *   .      .     ^ .      .  .128 

Captain  John  Agry    ...   130 

Mrs.  EI/Izabeth  Reed  Agry   132 

Captain  George  Agry   134 

The  PERI.EY  House  and  the  Agry  House  *   138 

Judge  Samuei,  Sumner  Wii^de   140 

The  Grant-Otis  Mansion  *      .      .   150 

Judge  Henry  Knox  Baker,      .   157 


xii  List  of  Illustrations — Continued 

Mrs.  Sarah  I,ord  Baker   158 

Judge  Samuei.  K.  Gii,man   160 

Hon.  Simon  Page   160 

Residence  oe  Samueiv  K.  Gii^man   162 

Deacon  Kbenezer  Doi^e   164 

Oi,D  Huntington  House  *   168 

Miss  Mary  Thompson  Wei^ch,  (Mrs.  Joseph  F.  NASon)     .      .  170 

Residence  oe  Joseph  Nason,  Esq   172 

Residence  of  Major  Thomas  M.  Andrews   184 

The  Dummer  Mansion  *   i86 

Dr.  M.  C.  Richardson   188 

Mrs.  Simon  Page   190 

The  Oi,d  South  Church   193 

Residence  of  Rev.  Dr.  Gmet  *   196 

Hai,i,oweIvI.  Academy                                                   .      .  208 

The  Hubbard  Free  IvIbrary   229 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chari^es  Vaughan   236 

Generai,  Thomas  H.  Hubbard   238 

Residence  of  Samuei,  W.  Huntington,  Esq.       ....  265 

"Sunset  Farm,"  Residence  of  Chari.es  Vaughan,  Esq.   .      .  272 

From  Drawings  in  Water-Color  by  John  Vaughan  Merrick 

Miss  Anne  Warren's  Banquet  Tabi,e   .      .      .      •      •  .275 

Hon.  Reuei.  Wii,i,iams   276 

Mrs.  Sarah  Cony  Wmiams   278 

Octagon  Room  in  Wi  wams  Mansion   280 

Governor  John  Hubbard                                            •      •  307 

Residence  of  Governor  John  Hubbard  *   310 

Captain  John  Hubbard   312 

Governor  Joseph  R.  BoDWEiyi,   315 

Residence  of  Governor  BodweI/I,  *   3^6 

Residence  of  Captain  Chari^es  Wei,i*s  *   328 

Bridge  on  the  Vaughan  Stream  *   334 

The  Vaughan  Mansion*   34* 

*  From  photograph  by  F.  Ernest  Peacock. 


HALLOWBIvI/ 


Prelude 


The  river  with  its  ruffled  blue 
Divides  the  mighty  hills  in  two, 

Caresses  many  a  dell. 
Under  a  height  that  tosses  back 
The  summer  thunder  from  its  track, 

Lie  home  and  Hallowell. 

The  sunrise  sends  its  couriers  down 
To  wake  the  quaint,  embowered  town; 

A  misty  azure  spell 
At  early  even  creeps  to  bridge 
The  depth  beneath  each  rocky  ridge 

That  watches  Hallowell. 

The  world  may  smile  —  the  world  whose  pain 
Is  measured  by  its  golden  gain ; 

Our  pine-sweet  breezes  swell 
With  something  it  hath  never  heard, 
A  benediction  fills  the  word. 

The  name  of  Hallowell. 

Content  to  miss  the  flash  and  whirl 
We  watch  the  breath  of  hearth-fires  curl 

With  every  mellow  bell. 
We  note  how  fair  the  hours  be, 
Ivife  hath  a  touch  of  Arcadie 

In  dreamy  Hallowell. 


Hope  guards  her  dearest  treasures  here 
The  gate  of  heaven  is  alwaiys  near 

Where  faith  and  duty  dwell. 
We  learn  to  toil  and  look  above, 
To  spell  God's  truth  of  light  and  love 

In  hill-bound  Hallowell. 


— Ellen  Hamlin  Butler 


I 


ANCIENT  KOUSSINOK 
N'kanayoo  !  —  Oi  the  Olden  Time! 


HE  wise  old  Abenaki  story-teller  struck  the  keynote 
of  universal  human  interest  when  he  began  his 
ancestral  records  with  this  expression :  N'kanayoo! 
—  Of  the  Olden  Time! 


These  words  are  fraught  with  significance.  They  appeal 
to  the  human  heart  in  all  lands  and  in  all  ages  of  the  world. 
The  love  of  the  past  and  a  desire  to  preserve  the  records  of  the 
past  are  inherent  in  the  human  race.  To  transfer  the  story 
of  yesterday  to  some  far-off  to-morrov/  has  ever  been  the  mis- 
sion of  poet  and  historian ;  and  to  begin  at  the  beginning  has 
an  irresistible  charm.  Therefore,  in  recalling  the  history  of 
Old  Hallowell,  our  minds  and  hearts  are  lured  back  to  the 
"Olden  Time  "  of  the  Abenaki  story-teller ;  and,  with  him,  we 
may  very  fitly  say :  N'kanayoo !  for  our  record  must  begin 
with  the  days  when  the  Abenaki  Indian  dwelt  upon  the  banks 
of  the  Kennebec. 

The  river  shores,  where  Hallowell  now  stands,  were  once 
the  ancestral  hunting  grounds  of  the  gentle  Abenakis." 
According  to  their  traditions,  these  Men  of  the  Dawn  held 
their  patent  directly  from  the  hand  of  the  Creator.  The  land 
had  been  theirs  from  the  beginning  of  the  world ;  and  it  is  now 
pleasant  to  believe  that,  from  time  immemorial,  l|!earth-fires  have 
burned  upon  our  shores ;  that  here  old  songs  have  been  sung, 
brave  deeds  recounted,  and  ancient  traditions  retold  for 
innumerable  generations. 

The  banks  of  Bombahook  were  once  a  favorite  camping- 
ground  of  the  Abenaki  Indians  ;  the  picturesque  plateau,  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  "Plains,"  was  the  place  of  many  lodges; 
and  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  river,  in  the  northern  portion 
of  the  territory  originally  included  in  the  town  of  Hallowell, 


2 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


there  was  a  large  and  permanent  Abenaki  village.  With  the 
early  records  of  these  Indian  domains,  the  story  of  the  first 
settlement  of  Old  Hallowell  is  inextricably  interwoven ;  and  if 
we  would  understand  the  history  of  our  native  town,  we  must 
go  back  to  the  days  when  the  men  of  Plymouth  dwelt  here  side 
by  side  with  the  Indians  of  Koussinok. 

As  we  endeavor  to  recall  this  half -forgotten  period,  its 
events  unfold  themselves  before  our  eyes  like  the  successive 
scenes  of  a  dimly-lighted,  old-time  panorama.  We  see  first  a 
little  white-sailed  vessel  appearing  off  the  coast  of  Maine.  It 
is  the  shallop  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  built  at  Plymouth,  and 
commanded  by  Edward  Winslow,  who,  with  six  of  "  ye  old 
standards,"  comes  to  trade  with  the  Indians  on  the  banks  of 
the  Kennebec.  These  unskilled  mariners  boldly  dare  the 
dangers  of  Seguin,  cross  the  rippling  bosom  of  Merrymeeting 
Bay,  sail  on,  past  the  island  home  of  the  old  chief  Kennebis, 
past  the  Point  of  Bombahook,  and  follow  the  curving  river 
shore  until  they  see  the  smoke  of  the  Abenaki  camp-fires,  and 
reach  the  Indian  village. 

It  was  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  1625  that  these  brave 
men  of  Plymouth  set  sail,  with  their  shallop-load  of  corn,  for  this 
hitherto  unknown  haven  on  the  Kennebec.  Their  little  craft, 
built  by  the  house  carpenter  of  Plymouth,  was  not  well  fitted  for 
such  a  voyage.  They  had  laid  a  litle  deck  over  her  mid- 
ships," writes  Governor  Bradford,  "to  keepe  y^  corne  drie,  but 
y^  men  were  faine  to  stand  it  out  all  weathers  without  shelter, 
and  y*  time  of  y^  year  begins  to  growe  tempestius.  But  God 
preserved  them  and  gave  them  good  success,  for  they  brought 
home  700  lb.  of  beaver  besids  some  other  furrs,  having  litle  or 
nothing  els  but  this  corne  which  themselves  had  raised  out  of 
y^  earth."  ' 

In  1627,  the  Plymouth  merchants,  having  procured  a 
patent  for  the  Kennebec,  "  erected  a  house  up  above  in  y^  river 
in  y^  most  convenientest  place  for  trade,  as  they  conceived,  and 
furnished  the  same  with  comodities  for  y*  end,  both  winter  & 
somer,  not  only  with  corne,  but  also  with  such  other  commodities 

^  Bradford's  History  of  Plymouth  Plantation,  p.  247. 


Ancient  Koussinok 


3 


as  fishermen  had  traded  with  them,  as  coats,  shirts,  ruggs,  & 
blankets,  biskett,  pease,  prunes,  Szc.;  and  what  they  could 
not  have  out  of  England,  they  bought  of  the  fishing  ships, 
and  so  carried  on  their  bussines  as  well  as  they  could."  ' 

This  story  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  important  in  the  early  history  of  New  England, 
and  yet  it  has  lapsed  into  an  almost  legendary  form,  and  to-day 
many  of  the  dwellers  in  the  Kennebec  valley  are  entirely 
unaware  that  the  famous  men  of  Plymouth  were  ever  sojourners 
upon  our  shores.  Nevertheless,  it  is  true  that  more  than  a 
hundred  years  before  the  erection  of  Fort  Western  there  was 
a  flourishing  trading-post  in  this  locality,  and  here  for  nearly 
forty  years  the  Plymouth  merchants  lived  side  by  side  with  the 
Abenaki  Indians  and  carried  on  a  profitable  trade  with  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Maine. 

Considering  the  dependence  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  upon 
the  resources  of  Maine,  and  the  fact  that  they  were  saved 
from  financial  ruin  and  enabled  to  pay  their  debt  to  the  London 
Company  only  by  the  profits  of  the  valuable  shipments  of  furs 
from  the  Kennebec,  it  is  surprising  to  learn  how  little  the 
historians  of  Plymouth  have  to  say  of  the  trading-post  at 
Koussinok  and  of  the  life  and  adventures  of  the  men  who 
occupied  it  for  so  many  years.  The  writings  of  Edward 
Winslow,  of  Governor  Bradford,  and  of  other  contemporary 
authors  contain  but  the  briefest  references  to  this  subject.  It 
has  even  been  intimated  that  the  Pilgrim  merchants  were 
purposely  reticent  in  regard  to  their  trading-post  since  they 
did  not  wish  to  open  to  other  colonists  this  very  profitable 
source  of  their  own  supplies.  For  this  reaso)^,  the  materials 
for  the  story  of  the  first  English  settlers  within  the  borders  of 
Old  Hallowell  are  very  meager ;  and  it  is  only  in  the  records  of 
the  early  French  voyagers,  in  the  Relations  of  the  Jesuits,  and 
in  the  works  of  other  French  authorities,  that  I  have  been  able 
to  find  any  satisfactory  original  data  for  the  story  of  ancient 
Koussinok,  and  for  the  intercourse  of  the  English  with  the 
Indians  of  this  village. 

^  Bradford's  History  of  Plymouth  Plantation,  p.  281. 


4 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


The  earliest  mention  that  I  find  of  the  name  Koussinok  is 
in  the  writings  of  the  French  priest,  Father  Gabriel  Druillettes, 
who,  in  1652,  states  that  the  Abenakis  have  a  village  and 
burying-ground  where  they  meet  every  spring  and  fall  "in 
sight  of  the  English  who  live  at  Koussinok." '  This,  then,  is 
the  beautiful  old  Indian  word  that  was  afterwards  corrupted 
into  *'Cushnoc." 

In  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the  name  Koussinok,  authori- 
ties widely  differ.  One  writer,  learned  in  Indian  nomenclature, 
states  that  it  is  a  compound  word  meaning  the  place  of  the 
sacred  rites  beside  the  rippling  waters.  This  signification 
seems  very  appropriate,  for  Koussinok  was  the  place  of  the 
sacred  rites  of  the  tribe,  and  was  located  near  the  rapids  in  the 
river.  But  Maurault,  in  his  Histoire  des  Abenakis,  states  that 
the  word  Koussinok  is  equivalent  to  the  French  phrase,  II y  en 
a  heaucoMp ;  and  that  the  village  was  called  Koussinok  because 
the  English  had  greatly  increased  in  numbers  at  this  place. 

Who  all  of  these  English  people  were  that  dwelt  for  a 
whole  generation  upon  our  shores  can  not  now  be  ascertained. 
No  full  and  consecutive  history  of  the  Plymouth  settlement  on 
the  Kennebec  has  ever  been  written ;  but  we  know  that  some 
of  the  ablest  and  best  men  in  the  colony  were  sent  to  take 
charge  of  the  trading-post,  and  this  fact  shows  the  importance 
with  which  the  place  was  at  this  time  regarded. 

One  of  the  early  agents  in  command  of  the  trading-houses 
was  John  Rowland,  who,  with  his  ''military  turn"  and  adven- 
turous spirit,  was  well  fitted  for  the  administration  of  the 
business  of  the  colony  in  this  important  location.  He  was, 
moreover,  one  of  the  company  responsible  for  the  public  debt 
and  therefore  especially  interested  in  the  success  of  the 
enterprise  on  the  Kennebec. 

In  1634,  while  Rowland  was  in  command  at  Koussinok, 
John  Alden  came  from  Plymouth  to  bring  supplies  for  the 
spring  traffic  with  the  Indians ;  and  Myles  Standish,  although 
never  in  command,  came  frequently  in  the  Plymouth  shallop 
on  its  business  trips  to  the  Kennebec.    Governor  Bradford, 

I  Relations  of  the  Jesuits,  Vol.  37,  p.  254. 


4 


Ancient  Koussinok 


5 


who  was  desirous  of  strengthening  the  Plymouth  title  to  this 
territory,  is  also  said  to  have  come  in  his  official  capacity  to 
treat  with  the  Indians  at  this  period. 

One  of  Rowland's  successors  at  the  trading-post  was 
Captain  Thomas  Willett,  a  young  man  who  had  been  a  member 
of  the  congregation  at  Leyden  and  who  had  followed  the 
Pilgrims  to  Plymouth  in  1632.  He  was  a  very  able  and  efficient 
agent,  and  by  his  just  and  tactful  dealings  with  the  Indians,  he 
won  their  confidence  and  faithful  service.  Captain  Willett 
afterwards  established  an  extensive  trade  with  the  Manhattan 
Dutch;  and  later  in  life  he  was  honored  with  the  office  of 
Governor  of  New  York. 

Another  notable  commander  of  the  Koussinok  trading- 
post  was  John  Winslow,  a  brother  of  Governor  Edward 
Winslow.  John  Winslow  came  over  in  the  Fortune,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  efficient  and  highly  esteemed  men  of  the 
colony.  He  was  in  command  on  the  Kennebec  from  1647  to 
1652,  and  was  for  many  years  identified  with  the  Indian  trade, 
through  which  he  became  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of 
Plymouth. 

In  the  year  1654,  we  find  Captain  Southworth  occupying 
the  post  as  agent  of  the  Plymouth  Company.  Southworth  was 
the  son  of  Alice  Southworth,  the  second  wife  of  Governor 
Bradford.  ^'  He  was  a  man  eminent  for  the  soundness  of  his 
mind  and  the  purity  of  his  heart."  He  spent  three  years  in 
this  remote  region  and  cheerfully  bore  the  privations  and 
discomforts  of  the  wilderness  for  the  good  of  the  colony  and 
the  maintenance  of  the  traffic  with  the  Indians. 

And  Governor  Thomas  Prence  —  that  dignified,  stately 
personage  who  had  a  countenance  full  of  majesty  and  who  is 
said  to  have  been  a  terror  to  evil-doers  —  he  also  came  to  the 
Kennebec  in  1654  and  established  some  very  wholesome  laws 
for  the  conduct  of  the  settlers  and  their  intercourse  with  the 
native  denizens  of  the  forest. 

In  the  year  1648,  Natahanada,  a  sagamore  of  the  Kennebec, 
conveyed  a  large  tract  of  land  to  William  Bradford,  Edward 
Winslow,   Thomas   Prence,   Thomas   Willett,   and  William 


6 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Paddy ;  and  a  copy  of  the  deed  that  was  signed  by  Natahanada 
may  still  be  seen  in  the  Register's  Office  of  Lincoln  County. 
It  is  interesting  to  be  assured  that  the  Indian  chieftain 
received,  in  payment  for  this  valuable  tract  of  land,  two  hogs- 
heads of  provisions,  one  of  bread,  one  of  pease,  two  cloth  coats, 
two  gallons  of  wine,  and  a  bottle  of  strong  waters. 

A  hundred  years  later,  the  Indians  had  grown  wiser  and 
refused  to  acknowledge  the  claims  of  the  English  either  by 
deed  or  by  right  of  possession.  In  1725,  the  Abenaki  chieftains 
declared  to  the  English  :  We  were  in  possession  before  you, 
for  we  have  held  the  land  from  time  immemorial.  The  lands 
we  possess  were  given  to  us  by  the  Great  Master  of  Life.  We 
acknowledge  only  from  him."  Again  in  1744,  when  Governor 
Shirley  exhibited  the  deed  signed  by  the  Indians  as  a  proof 
of  his  claim  to  the  territory,  the  aged  chieftain,  Ongewasgane, 
replied,  I  am  an  old  man,  yet  I  never  heard  my  ancestors  say 
that  these  lands  were  sold."  ' 

It  is  now  well  understood  that  by  thus  deeding  their  lands, 
these  Indians  had  no  idea  of  any  legal  transference  of  their 
territory,  but  were  merely  granting  to  the  white  men  the 
right  to  hunt  and  fish  in  common  with  themselves. 

These  occasional  glimpses  into  the  life  and  character  of  the 
Abenaki  Indian  stimulate  our  desire  to  know  more  of  this 
remarkable  tribe  that  the  Plymouth  men  found  in  possession  of 
the  valley  of  the  Kennebec  ;  and  a  study  of  the  customs  and 
traditions  of  this  ancient  people  reveals  much  of  interest  and  of 
ethnological  value.  At  the  time  when  the  Plymouth  merchants 
were  stationed  in  this  locality,  there  was  at  Koussinok  a  large 
Indian  village  of  five  hundred  inhabitants,  including  the  women 
and  the  children.  This  primitive  people  had  a  wonderful  and 
musical  language.  They  had  a  system  of  writing  and  of  com- 
munication with  other  and  distant  tribes.  They  possessed  an 
inherited  store  of  legends  and  folk-tales  that  were  truly 
remarkable.  They  lived  by  hunting,  fishing,  and  tilling  the 
soil.  They  were  peaceful,  hospitable,  and  generous  ;  and  it  is 
conceded   by  all  authorities  that      the  sentiments   of  the 

^  Abbott's  History  of  Maine,  p.  352. 


Ancient  Koussinok 


7 


Abenakis  and  their  principles  of  justice  had  no  parallel  among 
other  tribes." 

These  Indians,  according  to  their  own  traditions  and  the 
common  consent  of  the  tribes  around  them,  were  an  aboriginal 
people.  They  claimed  that  they  were  the  first  and  only  perfect 
creation  of  the  Great  Spirit,  that  after  them,  the  Indian  was  of 
an  inferior  quality.  They  were  destined  from  the  primal  order 
of  the  universe  to  be  nature's  aristocracy ;  and,  in  comparing 
them  with  other  Indians,  this  claim  seems  to  have  been  very 
well  founded. 

One  example  of  magnanimity  and  nobility  of  character  was 
furnished  by  the  Kennebec  chieftain  Assiminasqua.  On 
several  occasions  when  the  Kennebec  Indians  had  sent  messen- 
gers to  treat  with  the  English  on  the  coast,  the  latter  had 
taken  them  prisoners  and  deprived  them  of  their  arms ;  but 
when  the  English  came  to  make  a  treaty  at  Ticonic,  and  might 
easily  have  been  captured  by  the  Indians,  Assiminasqua 
scorned  to  do  so  treacherous  a  deed.  ''It  is  not  our  custom," 
he  said,  ''when  messengers  come  to  treat  of  peace,  to  seize 
upon  their  persons  and  make  them  prisoners.  Keep  your 
arms  !    You  are  at  liberty  !    With  us  it  is  a  point  of  honor."  ^ 

An  illustration  of  the  loyalty  of  these  Indians  among 
themselves  may  be  found  in  the  very  interesting  custom  of 
choosing  the  Nidoba.  Every  young  brave,  on  arriving  at  the 
age  when  he  began  to  hunt  and  fish  for  himself,  chose  a  friend 
of  his  own  age  whom  he  called  his  "  Nidoba,"  — a  name  which 
signified  a  comrade  faithful  until  death.  These  two  young 
braves  united  themselves  by  a  mutual  bond  to  dare  all  dangers 
in  order  to  assist  each  other  as  long  as  they  both  should  live. 
Thus  every  Abenaki  man  had  at  least  one  ttue  friend  ever 
ready  to  give  his  life  for  him  ;  and  these  two  faithful  comrades 
believed  that  after  death  they  would  be  reunited  in  the  Happy 
Hunting  Grounds. ^ 

The  native  characteristics  of  the  Kennebec  Indians  were 
most  apparent  at   the  great  councils  which  were  held  at 


1  Abbott's  History  of  Maine,  p.  185. 

2  Maurault's  Hisioire  des  Abenakis,  p.  16. 


8 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Koussinok  twice  a  year, — one  in  the  autumn  before  going  on 
the  great  hunt  to  the  "  Lake  of  the  Moose,"  and  the  other  in 
the  spring  when  the  braves  returned  laden  with  their  trophies. 
Then  the  council  fires  were  lighted  around  the  great  stone 
hearths,  and  here  were  performed  all  the  sacred  rites  and 
ceremonies  of  the  tribe. 

At  these  celebrations  there  was  dancing  and  feasting  ; 
and  the  young  men,  who  were  enthusiastic  athletes,  indulged 
in  spirited  contests  of  ball-playing,  wrestling,  running,  and 
leaping. 

I  recall  one  old  Indian  story  of  a  running  match  in  which 
the  contestants  were  required  to  give  their  names  on  entering 
the  lists.  The  first  runner  announced  that  he  was  ''Northern 
Lights."  The  second  said  that  he  was  ''  Chain  Lightning." 
It  is  needless  to  add  that  "  Chain  Lightning"  won  the  race. 

The  children  also  had  many  pretty  games  which  had  been 
played  by  their  ancestors  for  many  generations.  One  of  these 
games  consisted  of  hiding  a  large  ring  in  the  sand  and  attempt- 
ing to  find  it  and  draw  it  out  on  the  end  of  a  long  pointed 
stick.  Another  game  which  the  Indian  girls  played  is  very 
interesting  because  it  so  closely  resembles  the  ancient  English 
game  of  "Old  Witch,"  sometimes  known  as  ''Hawk  and 
Chickens."  And  curiously  enough,  this  Indian  game,  like  the 
old  English  play,  was  preceded  by  a  counting-out  jingle;  only 
instead  of  saying,  "  Eny,  meny,  mony,  mi,"  as  the  children  of 
Old  Hallowell  used  to  do,  the  little  Abenaki  girls  said,  "  Hony, 
keebe,  laweis,  agles,  huntip  I "  and  whoever  was  left,  after  all 
the  rest  were  counted  out,  had  to  be  the  "  old  Swamp  Woman." 

The  Abenaki  women  were  comely  and  attractive  in  appear- 
ance. Their  feminine  taste  found  expression  in  a  great  variety 
of  ornaments  including  rings,  necklaces,  and  bracelets  made  of 
shells  and  wrought  with  great  skill.  Sometimes  the  Abenaki 
bride  made  for  her  lover  chieftain  a  belt  with  a  fringe  of 
wampum  a  foot  in  depth  and  containing  many  thousands  of 
pieces.  The  Abenaki  w^omen  also  made  many  tasteful  house- 
hold articles  out  of  plaited  rushes  and  birch  bark.  They  had 
developed  a  rude  art  of  pottery.    They  understood  the  secrets 


Ancient  Koussinok 


9 


of  coloring ;  and  artistic  rugs  and  portieres  were  not  unknown 
to  the  primitive  women  of  the  Kennebec.  But  while  indulging 
in  these  accomplishments,  the  Abenaki  women  were  also 
expected  to  plant  and  hoe  the  corn,  to  dress  the  skins  of  the 
hunter's  trophies,  and  to  do  all  the  menial  work  of  the  settle- 
ment. They  were,  however,  always  treated  with  respect  by 
t-he  Abenaki  men. 

Among  the  chief  characteristics  recorded  of  the  Abenaki 
men  and  women  were  their  intense  affection  for  their  children, 
their  veneration  for  their  ancestors,  and  their  love  for  their 
native  woods  and  waters.  Every  boy  born  to  the  Abenaki 
mother  was  taught  the  origin  and  traditions  of  his  race,  and 
was  ready  to  die  for  the  rights  inherited  from  his  fathers. 
These  traditions  were  constantly  repeated  around  the  camp- 
fires  and  instilled  into  the  minds  of  the  children  by  the  songs 
of  the  Indian  mothers. 

It  is  difficult  for  us  now  to  invest  this  ancient  people  with 
the  ingenuous  characteristics  and  the  poetic  imagination  which 
their  records  and  folk-lore  prove  that  they  once  possessed ; 
and  I  cannot  better  describe  the  thought  and  feeling  of 
the  Indian  mother  and  her  belief  in  the  birthright  and  the 
future  of  her  baby  chieftain  than  by  a  few  verses  entitled 


Sleep  in  thy  birchen  cradle,  sleep  ! 

For  the  planting  time  is  here  ; 
The  little  gray  mice  through  the  stubble  creep  ; 
And  the  leaves  that  down  through  the  branches  peep 

Are  as  big  as  the  mouse's  ear.  , 
Sleep,  where  the  pine  its  shadow  throws,  / 
And  the  Koonabecki  flows  and  flows. 

Sleep,  sleep,  for  the  crow  is  near  ! 

'Twas  he  who  brought  the  grain 
From  the  far  southwest,  o'er  the  valleys  drear, 
And  the  women  must  watch  and  work  in  fear. 

Lest  he  snatch  it  back  again. 
Watch  and  work  while  the  seedlet  grows. 
And  the  Koonabecki  flows  and  flows. 


AN  ABENAKI  LULLABY 


10 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Hush  !  hush  !  for  the  gray  wolf  cries  !  — 

A  mighty  hunter  soon, 
Thou  shalt  chase  the  deer  with  the  starry  eyes, 
And  follow  the  stream  where  the  salmon  rise. 

In  a  boat  that  is  like  the  moon. 
Soft  like  the  curved  white  moon  it  goes. 
Where  the  Koonabecki  flows  and  flows. 

Sleep,  little  chief  of  a  chieftain  born  ! 

Old  as  the  sun  thy  sires  ; 
They  sprang  to  life  at  the  world's  first  morn  ; 
Their  torches,  lit  at  the  ruddy  dawn, 

Kindled  the  council  fires. 
To  burn  as  long  as  the  morning  glows, 
While  the  Koonabecki  flows  and  flows. 

Wake,  wake,  little  chieftain,  wake  ! 

Thine  are  the  eastern  lands ; 
For  thee  did  the  good  Great  Spirit  make 
Forest,  and  hill,  and  stream,  and  lake. 

And  the  river's  shining  strands. 
Thine  they  are  while  the  east  wind  blows. 
And  the  Long- I,and- Water  flows  and  flows. 

These  ingenuous  and  tractable  Indians  of  the  Kennebec  were 
converted  to  Christianity  under  the  ministrations  of  the  Jesuit 
priest,  Father  Gabriel  Druillettes,  who  here  founded  the 
Mission  of  the  Assumption  in  1648. 

Father  Druillettes  was  an  educated  and  cultured  French- 
man who  had  left  a  home  of  luxury  in  Europe  to  spend  a  life  of 
suffering  and  self-denial  in  the  wilderness  of  the  New  World. 
He  became  the  warm  friend  of  John  Winslow  and  was  often 
entertained  at  the  board  of  the  Plymouth  merchant  at  the 
trading-post.  Father  Druillettes  also  visited  the  colonies  at 
Boston  and  Plymouth  where,  notwithstanding  the  death-law 
against  the  Jesuits,  he  was  courteously  received  as  the 
accredited  envoy  of  the  French  government  at  Canada. 

It  was  by  the  Indians'  own  request  that  Father  Druillettes 
came  as  a  missionary  to  Koussinok.  He  was  loved  and 
reverenced  by  these  children  of  the  forest.  They  begged  him 
never  to  leave  them.    They  built  for  him  a  pretty  chapel. 


Ancient  Koussinok 


ir 


They  gave  him  their  best  canoe,  but  would  not  permit  him  to 
paddle.  Pray  for  us  and  we  will  row  for  you,"  they  said. 
When  Father  Druillettes  proposed  to  them  as  a  condition  of 
baptism  that  they  should  give  up  their  intoxicating  drinks  which 
they  had  received  from  the  English,  that  they  should  destroy 
their  medicine  bags  and  other  objects  of  sorcery,  and  strive  to 
live  in  peace  with  all  the  other  tribes,  they  readily  consented  to 
do  so.  Father  Druillettes  thus  acquired  a  great  influence  over 
his  Indian  wards. 

Such  were  the  peaceful,  hospitable,  and  interesting  people 
whom  the  early  voyagers  called  the  "gentle  Abenakis."  Here 
the  men  of  Plymouth  found  them  living  their  simple,  primitive 
lives,  and  believing  in  the  future  destiny  of  their  race  without  a 
shadow  of  the  fate  that  was  so  soon  to  befall  them.  But  all 
these  things  apparently  made  no  impression  on  the  minds  of 
our  revered  Pilgrim  Fathers.  They  came  to  these  newly 
discovered  shores  where  the  air  was  scintillant  with  local  color 
and  where  the  wigwams  were  just  overflowing  with  material 
available  for  the  folk-lore  student,  and  yet  they  have  left  us  no 
record  of  it  whatever. 

Happily  we  now  know  from  the  fragments  of  Abenaki 
folk-lore  that  have  been  preserved  to  us  by  the  last  remnants 
of  the  ancient  tribes,  what  a  wealth  of  legend  and  tradition 
these  Indians  once  possessed  ;  and  if  these  scanty  fragments  of 
song  and  story  are  so  wonderful,  we  can  imagine  what  the 
folk-lore  of  these  first  dwellers  on  our  shores  must  have  been 
in  the  palmy  days  of  their  tribal  existence  when  every  genera- 
tion had  its  poet  and  story-teller  and  the  Men  of  the  Dawn 
retold  all  that  their  sires  had  taught  them  from^'  the  beginning 
of  the  world. 

The  ancestral  hunting  grounds  of  the  Abenakis  on  the 
shores  of  the  Kennebec  inevitably  fell  into  the  possession  of 
the  Plymouth  company.  This  company  based  its  legal  claim 
to  the  territory  on  the  patent  granted  by  the  Plymouth  Council 
of  England  to  the  Plymouth  Colony  in  1629.  This  patent 
included  a  strip  of  land  fifteen  miles  in  width  on  each  side  of 
the  Kennebec  extending  from  a  line  south  of  Swan  Island  to  a. 


12 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


line  a  league  above  the  Wesserunsett  river,  with  the  exclusive 
rights  of  trade  within  these  limits,  and  with  an  open  passage- 
way to  the  sea.  For  nearly  forty  years  the  Plymouth  Colony 
maintained  its  trading-post  on  the  Kennebec;  but  when  the 
business  declined  and  profits  no  longer  flowed  into  their  treas- 
ury, they  sold  the  patent,  for  four  hundred  pounds,  to  John 
Winslow,  Thomas  Brattle,  Atipas  Boies,  and  Edward  Tyng. 
This  transfer  of  the  patent  was  made  in  1661  ;  and  a  few 
years  later  the  trading-post  was  abandoned  by  its  owners. 

This,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  some  years  before  the 
outbreak  of  King  Philip's  war  of  1675,  in  which  the  Kennebec 
Indians  were  the  last  to  become  involved.  Then  followed  the 
long  century  of  cruel  and  devastating  warfare  ;  and  at  its  close, 
the  few  Indians  that  remained  of  the  once  flourishing  tribe  on 
the  Kennebec  migrated  by  way  of  the  old  Chaudiere  trail 
to  Canada  where  they  joined  the  St.  Francis  tribe  of  Indians. 

The  Plymouth  trading-post,  long  forgotten,  fell  into  decay. 
The  picturesque  Abenaki  village  and  the  little  chapel  of  the 
Assumption  soon  disappeared  from  the  shore  of  the  Kennebec; 
and  a  luxuriant  forest  growth  obliterated  all  traces  of  ancient 
Koussinok. 

Nevertheless,  the  men  of  Plymouth  had  builded  more 
wisely  and  laid  their  foundations  within  our  borders  more 
deeply  than  they  ever  knew.  They  opened  the  forest  to  civili- 
zation. They  established  their  title  to  the  Kennebec  patent  and 
bequeathed  their  rights  to  their  successors.  The  land  lay 
dormant  for  almost  a  hundred  years  ;  but  the  seed  of  a  city  had 
been  planted  and  was  destined  to  spring  up  and  bring  forth 
fruit  after  many  days.  The  descendants  of  the  men  who  pur- 
chased the  property  in  1661  did  not  forget  their  valuable 
inheritance;  and,  on  the  21st  of  September,  1749,  the  heirs  of 
the  Kennebec  proprietors  met  to  devise  means  of  opening  the 
land  to  settlers.  An  organization  was  formed  under  the  name 
of  the  Kennebec  or  Plymouth  Company ;  and  from  these 
Kennebec  proprietors  the  settlers  of  Old  Hallowell  received  the 
title  to  their  estates.  Their  rights  inalienable  have  come  down 
to  the  present  day. 


Ancient  Koussinok 


13 


The  Pilgrim  Fathers  may  thus  be  regarded  as  the  pioneer 
openers  of  this  portion  of  the  Kennebec  valley  ;  and  the  people 
of  Old  Hallowell,  in  tracing  the  origin  of  their  ancestral  homes, 
must  go  back,  through  the  mists  of  the  past,  to  the  romantic 
yet  veritable  records  of  ancient  Koussinok. 

The  original  name  of  this  early  settlement  should  always 
be  preserved,  for  the  word  is  replete  with  historic  associations 
and  alive  with  local  light  and  color.  It  brings  before  our 
minds  a  series  of  pictures,  in  which  the  elements  of  adventure, 
hardship,  bravery,  valor,  and  romance  are  mingled.  We  see  the 
hospitable  Abenaki  lodges,  where  a  mat  for  the  stranger  is 
always  laid.  We  see  the  smouldering  fires,  and  the  vaguely 
flitting  forms  of  women  and  little  children.  Somewhat  apart 
from  the  village,  in  its  consecrated  space,  stands  the  chapel 
of  the  Assumption,  with  its  walls  of  white  birch  bark,  and 
its  altar  lighted  by  tall  candles  made  from  the  wax  of  the  bay- 
berries  gathered  on  the  coast.  Great  pine  knots  blaze  on  the 
round  stone  hearths  where  the  chieftains  meet  in  council ;  and 
in  the  fitful  glare  of  the  firelight  sits  the  tribal  story-teller  re- 
peating the  traditions  of  long  ago  when  the  Abenaki  men 
lived  in  "the  early  red  morning  before  the  sunrise."  Perchance 
his  story  is  a  poetic  nature-myth  of  the  wooing  of  the  summer, 
or  an  amusing  tale  of  the  tricksy  mischief-maker  who  ran  about 
among  the  wigwams  stirring  up  all  sorts  of  trouble;  or  the 
pretty  bit  of  folk-lore  telling  of  the  little  "Burnt-Faced  Girl," 
who,  like  a  veritable  Cinderella,  crept  out  from  the  ashes  of  her 
chimney-corner  to  become  the  bride  of  the  tallest,  handsomest 
young  chieftain  in  the  village;  or,  most  wonderful  of  all,  the 
legend  of  the  terrible  monster,  whose  "heart  of  ice  "  was  melted 
by  a  woman's  tender  touch,  and  whose  ferocious  nature  was  trans- 
formed by  the  ministrations  of  human  sympathy, —  a  legend 
which  seems  to  indicate  that  even  these  "Men  of  the  Dawn" 
had  some  conception  of  the  old,  continual  strife  between  good 
and  evil  in  the  human  soul. 

Near  by,  upon  the  river-shore,  stand  the  log-cabins  of  the 
Pilgrim  trading-post,  rude,  but  commodious  and  substantial. 
A  great  fire  roars  in  the  huge  stone  chimney-place.    The  walls 


14 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


are  hung  with  scarlet  blankets,  shining  trinkets,  and  the  sharp- 
bladed  knives  coveted  by  the  Indian  men  and  boys;  and  the 
great  bins  are  laden  with  supplies  for  traffic  with  the  Indian 
hunters.  Here,  to  and  fro,  with  stately  tread,  move  the 
Plymouth  merchants,  insistent,  stern,  and  realistic. 

Koussinok!  The  word  may  be,  at  times,  picturesque, 
severe,  unreal,  vivid,  pathetic,  or  grimly  ^tragic,  but  it  is 
always  suggestively  historic;  and,  to-day,  although  the  ancient 
trading-post  and  the  Abenaki  village  have  disappeared,  al- 
though Pilgrim  Fathers  come  no  more,  and  only  the  wraiths 
of  Indian  chieftains,  in  the  ghosts  of  white  canoes,  glide  up  and 
down  the  river,  their  story  is  still  recalled  by  this  old  Abenaki 
name;  and,  with  the  name,  the  memories  of  ancient  Koussinok 
will  long  abide  upon  the  borders  of  the  Kennebec. 


II 


THE  FIRST  SETTLERS 

"The  lines  are  fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places." — Psalms  xvi  :  6. 

^^■rHERE  is  no  more  beautiful  view  on  the  shores  of  the 
/  'I  Kennebec  river  than  that  from  the  top  of  Powder 
^F^^  House  hill  in  Hallowell.  Standing  where  its  gray 
granite  ledges  creep  out  amidst  the  grasses  which  are 
fringed,  in  early  summer,  with  tilting  scarlet  columbine,  or, 
later  in  the  season,  with  graceful  tufts  of  golden-rod,  one  looks 
upon  a  picture  of  unusual  charm  and  beauty.  To  the  north, 
like  a  giant  sentinel,  rises  the  bold  wooded  crest  of  Howard 
hill.  To  the  south  lies  the  Cascade  pond,  glistening  in  the 
sunlight,  and  sending  its  waters  eastward,  over  the  cascades 
and  rapids  of  the  Vaughan  stream,  to  meet  the  blue  waves  of 
the  Kennebec.  Before  us  rise  the  church  spires  amidst  tall 
elms  and  maples ;  and,  below,  at  the  feet  of  the  ancient  town, 
the  river — the  "Long-Land-Water" — as  the  Indians  fittingly 
named  it,  flows  majestically  on  past  its  old  moss-grown  wharves 
and  grassy  islands,  and  then  sweeps  around  in  a  picturesque 
curve  and  follows  its  course  to  the  sea. 

Close  behind  us,  founded  on  the  immovable  rocks,  is  that 
time-honored  landmark,  the  old  brick  powder  house,  with  its 
one  mysterious  door  barred  with  iron  and  carved  with  the 
monograms,  initials,  and  cabalistic  signs  that  register  the 
visitors  of  a  century.  "  Over  the  river,"  as  we  always  said  in 
our  childhood,  the  banks  of  Chelsea  Heights  rise  steeply  from 
the  water's  edge.  Away  at  the  north,  the  chimneys  and  turrets 
of  the  gray  stone  hospital  emerge  above  the  trees  suggestive  of 
some  old  English  castle  ;  and  thence  the  undulating  hills  sweep 
on  until  lost  in  the  mists  of  the  horizon. 

Every  son  and  daughter  of  Hallowell  knows  this  picture  of 
the    fair  olden  city  on  the  river's  shore."    We  see  it  in  our 


1 6  Old  Hallow  ell  on  the  Kennebec 

dreams,  and  with  closed  eyelids  in  our  waking  hours  ;  and 
to-day,  as  we  turn  our  thoughts  backward  to  the  founding  of 
Hallowell  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  it  is  difficult  to  shut  out 
the  familiar  scene  and  recall  the  time  when  these  shores  of  the 
Kennebec  were  an  unbroken  forest. 

Even  at  this  early  period,  however,  the  place  must  have 
seemed  to  the  "  first  comers  "  an  ideal  location  for  a  town  ;  and 
its  natural  advantages  were  at  once  apparent  to  the  early 
settlers  on  the  Kennebec.  The  shores  of  the  river  valley  from 
the  time  of  the  Pilgrim  traders  had  been  known  for  their 
fertility  and  natural  productiveness  ;  the  waters  of  the  river 
were  filled  with  salmon  and  other  delicious  fish;  the  water- 
power  of  the  stream  that  here  dashed  wildly  down  through  the 
forest  was  a  guarantee  for  future  sawmills  and  other  necessary 
manufactories.  Here  was  the  head  of  the  tide  and  "of  a  broad 
waterway  for  the  ships  from  the  sea.  Moreover,  at  this 
period,  the  Kennebec  was  regarded  as  the  natural  outlet  of 
Canada,  and  visions  of  the  time  when  there  should  be  a  grand 
inland  route  of  traffic  and  travel  from  Montreal  and  Quebec, 
via  the  Kennebec,  to  the  sea,  had  always  had  a  prominent 
part  in  the  plans  of  the  promoters  of  the  river  settlements. 
For  these  reasons,  a  town  well  located  in  this  vicinity 
might  confidently  look  forward  to  a  permanent  and  ever  increas- 
ing prosperity.  Accordingly,  at  the  close  of  the  French  and 
Indian  wars,  when  peace  and  security  became  assured,  the 
Plymouth  proprietors  on  the  Kennebec  offered  their  lands  for 
sale  on  the  most  liberal  terms  in  order  to  induce  settlers  to 
come  to  this  region. 

In  the  year  1754,  Fort  Western  was  erected  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Kennebec,  and  garrisoned  with  twenty  men  under 
the  command  of  Captain  James  Howard.  Around  the  fort  a 
few  small  log  houses  were  soon  built,  but  until  the  year  1762, 
which  must  ever  stand  prominent  in  our  local  history,  no 
dwelling  of  any  sort  existed  within  what  are  now  the  limits  of 
Hallowell. 

It  was  on  the  third  of  May  of  this  momentous  year,  1762, 
that  Deacon  Pease  Clark  and  his  wife,  with  their  son,  Peter 


The  First  Settlers 


17 


Clark,  and  his  wife  and  one  little  child,  landed  upon  the  shore 
of  the  Kennebec  and  made  a  path  for  themselves  to  the  spot 
where  the  old  cotton  factory  now  stands  in  Hallowell.  No 
hearth  fire  burned  for  their  welcome ;  no  door  opened  at  their 
coming;  no  home  stood  ready  to  receive  them.  And  so  the 
intrepid  Pease  Clark  and  his  son  Peter  took  the  one  rude  cart 
which  they  had  brought  with  them  and  turned  it  bottom  up- 
wards. Then,  with  their  brave  wives  and  the  one  little  child, 
they  crept  under  it  and  passed  the  night.  In  the  morning 
they  arose  and  began  the  settlement  of  Hallowell. 

The  Clarks  had  evidently  not  come  to  this  new  country 
entirely  ignorant  of  its  location  and  requirements.  According 
to  family  tradition,  Peter  Clark,  the  son  of  Pease  Clark,  had 
been  a  lieutenant  in  charge  of  a  company  of  sixty  soldiers, 
probably  a  part  of  Gen.  Shirley's  force,  sent  to  guard  the 
workmen  who  built  Fort  Western  in  1754.  Peter  Clark,  being 
pleased  with  the  country  and  the  terms  offered  to  settlers,  first 
induced  his  father  to  make  a  prospecting  trip  to  the  Kennebec 
valley,  after  which,  they  both  decided  to  establish  a  home  here 
for  themselves  and  their  families.  Pease  Clark  secured  a  grant 
of  land  of  one  hundred  acres,  fifty  rods  wide  and  one  mile  long 
extending  through  what  is  now  the  central  part  of  Hallowell. 
His  son  Peter  was  granted  an  adjoining  lot  at  the  south. 

The  first  efforts  of  the  Clarks  were  devoted  to  making  a 
small  clearing  and  to  the  erection  of  a  temporary  dwelling. 
They  then  planted  corn  and  rye  upon  the  burnt  land.  Before 
the  snows  of  the  following  winter  fell,  these  energetic  first 
settlers  had  hewn  timber,  procured  boards  and  pl/anks  from  the 
mill  at  Cobbossee,  and  built  a  comfortable  fram4  house  of  two 
stories  in  front  and  one  at  the  rear,  according  to  the  fashion  of 
the  times;  and  ever  after  that,  the  hospitable  doors  of  the 
Clark  house  stood  open  to  welcome  all  newcomers  to  this 
locality. 

Probably  no  thought  of  founding  a  city,  small  or  great, 
entered  into  the  heads  of  the  Clarks  at  the  time  of  their  coming 
to  the  Kennebec;  but  they  unconsciously  carried  out  the  first 
great  fundamental  principle  of  civic  history,  namely,  that  the 


l8  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

establishment  of  the  individual  home  is  the  true  foundation  of 
the  commonwealth.  Pease  Clark  now  rightfully  bears  the  dis- 
tinction of  having  been  the  father  of  the  present  city  of 
Hallowell;  while  to  James  Howard,  the  first  settler  at  Fort 
Western,  is  accorded  the  honor  of  having  been  the  founder  of 
Augusta. 

As  we  look  back  to  the  arrival  of  Pease  Clark  and  his 
family  in  this  newly-opened  country,  we  can  easily  imagine  the 
intense  interest  with  which  they  regarded  the  other  newcomers 
who  were  destined  to  be  their  neighbors  and  fellow-townsmen ; 
and  our  own  interest  is  warmly  excited  in  these  first  families  of 
old  Hallowell.  An  old  chart,  made  from  Winslow's  plan  of 
Cushnoc  in  1761,  gives  us  an  excellent  idea  of  the  division  of 
the  territory  and  the  location  of  the  new  settlers.  Fort 
Western,  occupied  by  Captain  James  Hov/ard  and  his  family, 
stood  two  miles  above  the  Clarks'  clearing  and  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river.  Three  sons  of  Pease  Clark,  who  soon  followed 
their  father  to  the  Kennebec,  settled  above  the  fort.  A  fourth 
brother,  David  Clark,  received  lot  1 5  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  and  a  sister,  the  widow  of  Asa  Fiske  of  Providence, 
afterwards  married  to  David  Hancock,  settled  on  lot  29  on  the 
west  side.  A  nearer  neighbor  of  the  Clarks  at  the  north  was 
Josiah  French  who  kept  an  inn  where  is  now  the  intersection 
of  Green  and  Grove  streets  in  Augusta;  Ephraim  Cowan  lived 
on  the  lot  where  the  State  House  now  stands,  and  Samuel 
Howard,  whose  estate  included  Howard  Hill,  located  a  little 
farther  to  the  south;  but  these  lots  were  not  within  the 
present  hmits  of  Hallowell.  Here  the  land  was  divided  into 
two  large  sections  of  32,000  acres  each,  extending  from  the 
river  to  Cobbossee  Great  Pond.  Lot  23  was  owned  by  Dr. 
Sylvester  Gardiner  and  lot  22,  by  Benjamin  Hallowell.  Out 
of  these  large  sections,  Pease  Clark  and  Peter  Clark  had 
received  adjoining  corner  lots  bordering  on  the  river.  Their 
nearest  and  only  neighbors  on  the  south  were  Jonathan  and 
Job  Philbrook  two  miles  below  in  the  present  town  of  Farming- 
dale.    With  the  exception  of  the  Philbrooks,  there  were  no 


The  First  Settlers 


19 


other  settlers  on  the  west  side  of  the  Kennebec  between  the 
Clarks  and  the  Cobbossee  stream  in  Gardiner. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  river,  near  the  southern  boundary 
Hne,  was  the  lot  of  Samuel  Bullen,  who  was  prominent  in  the 
records  as  town  constable.  Lot  7,  on  what  is  now  the  beautiful 
**intervale,"  was  granted  to  James  Cocks  (or  Cox),  of  Boston. 

Next,  on  the  chart,  we  find  the  lots  of  Benjamin,  Nathan, 
and  Daniel  Davis.  Jonathan  Davenport,  who  is  well  remembered 
as  the  first  town  clerk  of  Hallowell,  settled  on  the  adjoining 
grant.  Ezekiel  Page  and  his  son  Ezekiel  Junior  received  lots 
19  and  21.  Moses  and  Seth  Greeley  settled  on  what  has  in 
recent  years  been  known  as  the  Arsenal  lot.  Daniel  Hilton,  a 
young  soldier,  who  enlisted  under  Captain  Howard  for  service 
at  Fort  Western,  obtained  lot  30.  He  afterwards  sold  this 
land  to  Daniel  Thomas,  who  kept  the  first  tavern  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river.  Daniel  and  Edward  Savage,  two  of  the  most 
enterprising  settlers  of  this  period,  received  grants  in  1768  and 
1769;  but  they  had  been  for  some  years  previous  at  the  Fort. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  early  settlers  whose 
name  should  also  be  preserved,  was  John  Gilley.  an  Irishman 
from  Cork.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1755  and  enlisted  as  a 
soldier  at  Fort  Western.  He  was  at  that  time  believed  to  be 
seven  or  eight  years  older  than  Captain  James  Howard.  He 
attained  an  extraordinary  longevity,  and  at  his  death,  according 
to  the  estimate  of  his  contemporaries,  he  was  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  years  of  age.  He  enjoyed  perfect  health  and  was 
active  in  mind  and  body  long  after  his  one  hundredth  birthday. 
Judge  Weston  states  that  "the  late  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  of 
Hallowell,  was  interested  to  make  an  exami^iation  of  John 
Gilley,  from  which  he  became  satisfied  that  his  age  was  not 
overstated."  ^  Gilley  married  Dorcas  Brown  and  had  a  large 
family  of  children.  His  name  was  given  to  Gilley's  Point  a 
locality  famous  as  an  ancient  Indian  burying-ground. 

All  of  the  above-mentioned  men  were  located  on  the 
Kennebec,  in  1763,  or  earlier.  They  may  be  regarded  as  the 
pioneer  settlers  of  Hallowell.    They  were  the  brave  souls  who 

*   North's  History  of  Augusta,  p.  93. 


20 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


ventured  their  all  in  a  new  and  almost  unknown  country. 
They  cleared  the  forests,  planted  the  cornfields,  and  literally 
blazed  the  trail  for  future  generations. 

The  every-day  life  of  these  pioneer  settlers  was  marked, 
even  in  the  most  prosperous  families,  by  hardship,  privation, 
and  self-sacrifice.  The  first  sawmill  within  the  limits  of 
ancient  Hallowell,  was  built  by  James  Howard  on  the  Ellis 
or  Riggs  brook,  at  some  distance  above  Fort  Western,  about 
1769.  In  1772,  William  and  Samuel  Howard  built  another  mill 
on  the  same  stream;  and  very  soon  afterwards,  in  1773,  a  third 
mill  was  erected  by  the  Savage  brothers.  The  nearest  grist- 
mill was  at  Gardinerstown,  on  the  Cobbossee  stream ;  and  all 
the  ''grist"  was  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  the  men  over  a 
foot-path  through  the  forest,  or  in  boats  down  the  Kennebec. 
Even  the  inhabitants  of  Norridgewock  and  Canaan  at  this  time, 
brought  all  their  corn  down  the  river  in  canoes  to  the  mill  at 
Cobbossee. 

The  settlers  worked  energetically  and  perseveringly,  and 
the  land  was  soon  cleared  and  cultivated  to  the  distance  of  half 
a  mile  from  the  river.  In  the  adjoining  forests,  the  bear  still 
ranged,  and  frequently  made  destructive  raids  on  the  cornfields 
of  the  farmers.  Terrifying  rumors,  and  sometimes  a  glimpse 
of  wolves  and  the  dread  loup-cervier,  often  alarmed  the  men  as 
well  as  the  women  and  children.  The  houses  of  the  period, 
with  a  few  notable  exceptions,  were  built  of  logs.  Huge  fire- 
places, scantily  supplied  with  cooking  utensils,  tested  the 
housewife's  art,  and  doubtless  at  times  sorely  tried  her 
patience.  As  there  were  no  roads,  the  social  intercourse  of  the 
people  must  have  been  very  limited;  and  our  sympathies  con- 
stantly revert  to  the  women  and  children  who  naturally  suffered 
most  from  their  isolated  location,  and  restricted  circumstances. 

There  was,  moreover,  for  the  first  decade  after  the  coming 
of  Pease  Clark  and  his  immediate  followers,  no  opportunity  for 
religious  service  on  the  Sabbath.  The  people,  consequently, 
lacked  both  the  social  and  religious  uplift  that  comes  from 
laying  aside  the  work-a-day  cares  of  life  and  going  in  clean 
attire  and  goodly  company  to  the  house  of  God.   The  C larks 


The  First  Settlers 


21 


especially  must  have  missed  the  privileges  of  the  sanctuary,  for 
they  had  been  prominent  members  of  the  first  Congregational 
church  at  Attleboro,  Mass.,  where  they  worshiped  under  the 
ministrations  of  Rev.  Habijah  Weld,  a  pastor  '^distinguished 
for  his  usefulness  and  highly  respected  both  at  home  and 
abroad."  ^  That  they  thus  felt  the  deprivation  of  the  Sabbath 
services  is  shown  by  the  efforts  made  by  Pease  Clark  to 
establish  religious  worship  at  the  new  settlement  on  the 
Kennebec.  From  the  earliest  town  records,  kept  by  Jonathan 
Davenport,  we  learn  that  "at  a  meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Kennebec  river,  Cobbiseconte  and  upwards,  held  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Pease  Clark,  Feb.  ist,  1763,  articles  of  agreement 
were  entered  into  to  procure  preaching.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  raise  money  for  the  purpose.  The  minister  to 
divide  his  time  between  Cobbiseconte  and  Fort  Western,  or 
upwards  as  is  most  convenient." 

The  committee  evidently  made  an  effort  to  perform  the 
duties  assigned  to  them,  for  in  April,  1763,  the  first  public 
religious  services  were  held  at  P'ort  Western.  They  were  con- 
ducted by  an  Episcopal  minister,  the  Rev.  Jacob  Bailey,  from 
Pownalborough. 

With  this  exception,  the  efforts  of  the  people  to  secure 
preaching  seem  to  have  been  without  effect  for  we  learn  of  no 
more  public  religious  services  at  Hallowell  until  1773, 

But  notwithstanding  all  these  disadvantages,  the  early 
settlers  were  so  inspired  with  hope,  courage,  and  public  spirit 
that,  in  1771,  they  appealed  to  the  legislature  for  incorpo- 
ration as  a  town.  The  act  was  passed  April  26,  1771.  The 
new  town  contained  ninety  square  miles  of  ,  territory  and 
included  what  is  now  Hallowell,  Augusta,  Chelsea,  and  the 
greater  part  of  Manchester  and  Farmingdale.  At  the  time  of 
its  incorporation  it  was  represented  by  ninety-nine  taxable 
polls.  The  town  was  named  Hallowell  in  honor  of  Mr. 
Benjamin  Hallowell,  a  wealthy  Boston  merchant,  and  one  of 
the  Plymouth  proprietors. 

A  town  meeting,  called  by  James  Howard,  was  held  at 

»   History  of  Attleboro. 


22 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Fort  Western,  May  22,  1771,  of  which  the  following  record  was 
duly  made : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Freeholders  and  other  inhabitants  of  this  town 
att  Fort  western  being  the  first  Town  Meeting  after  we  ware  Incor- 
porated and  the  town  made  choice  of  Deacon  peas  Clark  for  the 
Moderator  and  the  following  officers  to  serve  the  town  for  the  year 
Ensuing  Viz.  Jonathan  Davenport  Town  Clerk  Constable  Samuel  BuUen 
Selectmen  peas  Clark  James  Howard  Bsq  &  Jonathan  Davenport  Town 
Treasurer  James  Howard  Ksq — Wardens  Samuel  Howard  &  Samuel 
Babcock — tythingmen  Daniel  Savage  peter  Hopkins— Deer  Reeves 
Jonathan  Davenport  &  moses  Greley — Fence  Viewers — adam  Carson 
Benjamin  White — Hog  Reeves  abijah  Read  Bbenezer  Davenport  & 
Emerson  Smith — surveyers  of  High  ways  Ezekiel  page  Peter  Clark 
peter  Hopkins  abisha  Cowing  &  Daniel  Cobb — surveyors  of  Boards 
shingles  and  timber  James  Cocks  Edward  Savage — ^James  Howard  Esq 
is  appointed  to  provide  a  town  Book  at  the  town  charge  In  order  to 
keep  the  town  Records. 

The  above  extract  is  copied  from  the  Records  of  Hallowell^ 
No.  I.  p.  I.  It  bears  the  date  of  May  22,  1771,  and  is  the 
first  entry  made  after  the  incorporation  of  the  town.  The 
record  is  inscribed  in  the  hand  writing  of  the  first  town  clerk 
of  Hallowell,  Mr.  Jonathan  Davenport.  The  writer  is  guiltless 
of  punctuation  marks,  save  a  few  dashes,  and  is  not  always 
consistent  in  his  use  of  capitals;  but  his  handwriting  is  excel- 
lent, his  spelling  generally  correct, — "peas"  Clark  being  a 
most  delectable  exception. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1772,  Captain  James  Cocks  was 
chosen  moderator  and  Jonathan  Davenport,  clerk.  The  first 
acts  of  the  town  provided  for  roads  on  each  side  of  the  river 
from  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  other.  Thirty-six  pounds  were 
raised  towards  clearing  the  roads,  and  fifteen  pounds  for  school- 
ing and  preaching.  The  selectmen  were  instructed  to  petition 
the  Plymouth  proprietors  for  "a  ministerial  lot,  also  a  lot  for  a 
meeting-house  and  a  training-field." 

From  this  first  list  of  town  officers,  we  learn  who  were  the 
principal  men  of  the  settlement  at  the  time  of  the  incorporation 
of  the  town  in  1771.  The  names  of  these  brave  *'first  settlers" 
should  have  an  honored  place  in  the  history  of  **01d  Hallowell." 
Their  story  is  necessarily  fragmentary,  and  can  be  gathered 


The  First  Settlers 


23 


only  bit  by  bit  from  the  old  records.  Nevertheless,  they  were 
very  real  characters,  keenly  alive  in  their  day  and  generation; 
and  could  we  now  call  together  that  first  town-meeting  of 
1 77 1,  we  should  all,  I  think,  without  difficulty,  recognize  Pease 
Clark,  Moderator^  Jonathan  Davenport,  Town  Clerk,  James 
Howard,  Esq.,  Treasurer,  and  all  the  other  old-time  dignitaries 
who,  having  endured  the  perils  and  hardships  of  "planting'* 
the  town  in  the  primeval  wilderness,  were  now  rewarded  by 
public  recognition  and  the  emoluments  of  office. 

The  life-story  of  Pease  Clark  remains  especially  identified 
with  that  part  of  Old  Hallowell  of  which  he  was  the  first 
settler ;  and  his  name  will  long  be  remembered  and  honored  in 
the  community  which  he  founded.  The  early  records  show 
that  he  was  a  man  of  ability,  integrity,  and  public  spirit.  He 
had  a  prominent  part  in  public  affairs  at  the  time  of  the 
incorporation  of  the  town,  and  was  zealous  in  his  efforts  for  the 
public  welfare. 

Deacon  Pease  Clark  has  been  characterized  as  "a  pious 
man,  just  and  honorable  in  his  dealings."  He  erected  his  altar 
in  the  wilderness  and  there  dwelt,  with  his  sons  and  daughters 
around  him,  like  a  veritable  patriarch  of  old.  He  lived  to  see 
his  home  surrounded  by  other  pleasant  dwellings,  with  fruitful 
gardens  and  orchards  on  the  sloping  hillsides;  and  his  own 
fertile  fields  became  the  inheritance  of  his  descendants.  He 
was  a  worthy  representative  of  that  sturdy,  indomitable  class  of 
pioneers  who,  with  faith  in  God  and  their  fellow-men,  cleared 
the  forests  for  the  dwelling  place  of  succeeding  generations. 

Pease  Clark  died  in  January,  1782.  His  life-work  was 
fittingly  commemorated  in  a  funeral  sermon  preached  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Eaton  of  Winthrop,  from  the  not  inalppropriate  text : 
Instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir-tree:  and  it  shall  be  to 
the  Lord for  a  name  that  shall  not  be  cut  off. 

In  the  old  burying-ground  in  Hallowell,  there  is  a  large 
table-shaped  tomb,  covered  with  moss  and  lichens,  and  yellowed 
by  the  rain  and  sunshine  of  more  than  a  hundred  years.  It 
stands  in  a  picturesque  spot  overlooking  the  blue  water-course 


24  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

of  the  Kennebec  and  the  curving  river  shore  shut  in  and 
sheltered  by  the  point  of  Bombahook.  This  was  the  fair 
domain  chosen  by  Hallowell's  first  settler  for  his  home ;  and  it 
is  fitting  that  Deacon  Pease  Clark,  whose  name  is  carven  on 
this  ancient  tomb,  should  here  rest  beside  the  Kennebec. 

Another  most  worthy  monument  to  the  memory  of  Deacon 
Pease  Clark  is  the  Hallowell  City  Building.  This  noble 
memorial  edifice  was  erected  by  Mrs.  Eliza  Clark  Lowell,  in 
honor  of  her  revered  ancestor,  and  presented  to  the  city  of 
Hallowell  in  1899.  A  marble  tablet  in  its  entrance  hall  bears 
this  inscription: 

This  Building  Is  The 

Gift  Of 
Eliza  Clark  Lowell 
A  Lineal  Descendant  Of 
Deacon  Pease  Clark 
The  First  Settler  Of  Hallowell 
1762 


Ill 


MEN  OF  THE  FORT  AND  HOOK 

"They  lived,  loved,  wrought,  and  died;  and  left  a  legacy  cherished 
hy  their  children." 

— Reminiscences  of  Hallowell. 

HE  town  of  Hallowell,  from  the  time  of  its  incorporation 
in  1 77 1  to  its  division  in  1797,  had  the  unusual 
experience  of  developing  into  two  distinct  villages. 
The  settlement  at  Fort  Western  dated  from  1754; 
that  at  Bombahook,  from  the  coming  of  Pease  Clark  in 
1762.  The  upper  village  was  commonly  called  the  Fort; 
the  lower  village,  the  Hook.  The  formation  of  two  villages, 
each  around  its  own  center,  was  the  natural  result  of  certain 
local  advantages,  but  it  was  quite  unpremeditated  by  the  early 
settlers;  and  for  the  first  quarter  of  a  century  there  was 
a  warm  community  of  interests  between  the  Hook  and  Fort. 
All  the  settlers  shared  alike  in  the  same  hardships,  struggles, 
aspirations,  and  achievements.  Their  interests  were  mutual, 
and  all  measures  adopted  were  for  the  common  good.  There- 
fore, in  recalling  the  early  history  of  the  town,  we  must  bear  in 
mind  that  the  present  sister  cities  of  Hallowell  and  Augusta 
were,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  one  and  the  same  town,  bear- 
ing the  incorporated  name  of  Hallowell. 

During  the  years  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  progress 
and  development  of  the  town  was  somewhat  checj^ed,  but,  with 
the  return  of  peace,  renewed  prosperity  came  to  the  valley  of 
the  Kennebec,  and  a  number  of  new  settlers  arrived  at 
Hallowell  who  will  always  be  remembered  among  the  early 
promoters  and  benefactors  of  the  town.  Some  of  the  most 
active  and  influential  of  these  new  settlers  located  around  the 
Fort.  The  upper  village  therefore  first  felt  the  stimulating 
effects  of  the  business  energy  and  capital  thus  introduced  into 
the  community;  and,  although  this  volume  is  to  be  especially 


26 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


devoted  to  the  story  of  the  famous  old  town  that  grew  up 
around  the  Hook,  we  must  now  pause  to  pay  a  brief  tribute 
to  the  leading  men  of  the  Fort,  since  these  men  were  prominent 
among  the  makers  of  Hallowell  before  the  division  of  the 
Mother-Town,  and  also  influential  in  the  shaping  of  its  destiny 
at  the  critical  period  of  its  existence  in  1797.  After  the 
division  of  the  town,  the  settlers  around  Fort  Western 
loyally  devoted  all  their  energies  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  , 
locality  which  they  had  chosen  for  their  home ;  but  before  the 
aspirations  of  Fort  and  Hook  diverged,  the  men  of  the  Fort 
shared  in  the  common  interests  of  both  sections  which  together 
made  the  town  of  Hallowell. 

The  individual  characters  of  these  men  are  so  strongly  im- 
pressed upon  our  local  history  that  it  would  be  an  easy  task  for 
the  artist  of  to-day  to  draw  their  pictures  for  posterity.  Even 
a  few  brief  strokes  of  the  pen  will  render  them  recognizable 
upon  these  pages. 

The  name  of  James  Howard,  the  first  and  only  commander 
of  Fort  Western,  stands  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  early 
settlers.  Captain  Howard  came  with  his  family  to  the  Fort  in 
1754,  and  was  for  many  years  the  most  influential  and  promi- 
nent man  in  the  community. 

It  is  stated,  in  the  History  of  Augusta  {pdigo.  86),  that  James 
Howard  was  a  highly  respectable  gentleman  who  came  from 
the  north  of  Ireland,"  and  that  he  was  **of  Scotch  descent."' 
This  assertion  has  been  frequently  repeated  by  local  historians, 
but  it  is  evidently  incorrect ;  for  family  records  and  traditions 
supported  by  historic  evidence,  which  are  still  in  the  possession 
of  the  descendants  of  James  Howard,  show  that  he  was  of 
English  ancestry  and  descended  from  a  cadet  of  the  house  of 
Howard  now  represented  in  England  by  the  Duke  of  Norfolk. 

The  statements  of  the  author  of  the  History  of  Augusta^ 
in  regard  to  the  origin  of  James  Howard  were  apparently  based 
on  a  superficial  impression  derived  from  the  fact  that  in  1735, 
this  "highly  respectable  gentleman"  appears  on  the  Waldo 
Patent  at  St.  George's  in  company  with  a  Scotch-Irish  colony.  | 
But  Eaton,  in  his  Annals  of  Warren  (page  49),  states  that  j 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


27 


James  Howard  was  one  of  seven  men  who  *'had  been  previously 
deputed  by  their  associates  in  Boston  and  vicinity  to  select  a 
place  for  settlement;"  and  it  is  claimed  by  an  exact  and  experi- 
enced genealogist  of  the  Howard  family,  ^  that  at  the  time  of  the 
settlement  of  the  Waldo  Patent,  James  Howard  was  an  English 
gentleman  living  in  Boston,  that  he  went  to  St.  George's 
river  in  an  official  capacity,  and  that,  although  he  settled  there 
with  the  colony  of  Scotch-Irish,  he  was  not  of  their  nationality. 

James  Howard  certainly  proved  himself  to  be  a  man  of 
parts  and  well  qualified  for  the  position  of  a  leader;  and  his 
descendants  possessed  those  qualities  of  mind  and  character 
that  we  are  accustomed  to  ascribe  to  good  English  birth  and 
breeding.  In  1770,  after  Fort  Western  was  no  longer  used  as 
a  house  of  defense,  James  Howard  built  for  himself,  about  a 
mile  farther  north,  on  Governor  Shirley's  "cut  road,"  the  fine 
and  spacious  mansion  long  known  as  the  "Great  House." 
Here  a  most  generous  hospitality  was  dispensed.  It  was  said 
that  the  fire  was  never  allowed  to  go  out  on  the  hearth  of  the 
Howard  house  ;  and  in  1775,  Dr.  Senter  writes  of  the  Howards 
as  "an  exceeding  poUte  and  opulent  family." 

The  most  notable  company  ever  assembled  around  the 
"opulent"  board  of  the  Howards,  was  entertained  by  the 
master  and  mistress  of  the  Great  House  in  September,  1775. 
This  was  when  Colonel  Benedict  Arnold  and  his  officers  made 
a  brief  sojourn  at  Fort  Western  on  their  fateful  journey  to 
Quebec.  In  this  remarkable  assemblage  there  were  a  number 
of  men  whose  names  will  ever  live  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
Two  of  the  most  brilliant  of  these  guests  have,  unfortunately, 
left  the  saddest  records.  Benedict  Arnold  anc^  Aaron  Burr 
were  then  brave  and  patriotic  young  soldiers  with  an  apparently 
splendid  future  before  them,  but  died  with  a  shadow  upon  their 
fame.  With  them,  came  Captain  Henry  Dearborn,  afterwards 
famous  in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  in  the  service  of  the 
country;  also  Major  Meigs,  Captain  John  Joseph  Henry, 
Adjutant  Febiger,  known  in  the  army  as  "Old  Denmark," 
Major  Ward,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Green,  Chaplain  Spring  of 

*   Mrs.  Martha  Gordon  Banks  of  New  York. 


28 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Newburyport,  and  Dr.  Senter,  the  surgeon  of  the  regiment. 
Other  officers  were  entertained  at  the  fort  by  Colonel  William 
Howard.  The  army  of  over  a  thousand  men  was  quartered 
upon  the  grounds  of  the  fort  or  stationed  in  tents  upon  the 
river  shores.  This  was  a  momentous  day  at  Fort  Western  and 
many  tales  and  traditions  of  the  festivities  on  this  occasion 
have  come  down  to  us.  ^ 

The  mistress  of  the  Great  House,  Mrs.  Mary  Howard,  died 
August  22,  1778.  On  January  i,  1781,  Captain  James  Howard 
married  Susanna  Cony,  widow  of  Lieutenant  Samuel  Cony. 
James  Howard  died  May  14,  1787.  The  children  of  Captain 
James  and  Mary  Howard  were:  John,  b.  1733;  Samuel,  b. 
1735;  Margaret,  b.  October  25,  1738;  William,  b.  1740.  The 
children  of  Captain  James  and  Susanna  Howard  were:  Isabella, 
b.  1781;  James,  b.  1783. 

Captain  Samuel  Howard,  a  son  of  Captain  James,  was  a 
master  mariner.  He  married  Sarah  Lithgow,  a  daughter  of 
Colonel  William  Lithgow,  who  was  "famed  for  her  beauty  from 
Fort  Halifax  to  Boston  town."  Colonel  William  Howard 
married  his  cousin  Martha,  daughter  of  Lieutenant  Samuel 
Howard,  and  resided  all  his  life  in  the  old  Fort.  These  two 
brothers  were  largely  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  and 
built  up  a  prosperous  trade  between  the  Kennebec  and  Boston. 
They  both  became  wealthy  and  influential  men. 

Colonel  Samuel  Howard,  son  of  Colonel  William,  was  also 
an  eminent  man  in  his  day.  He  married  Elizabeth  Prince  of 
Boston,  whose  aristocratic  but  prudent-minded  mother  was  very 
much  opposed  to  the  union  of  her  daughter  "  with  one  of  those 
extravagant  Howards." 

The  children  of  Colonel  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Prince 
Howard  were  Alexander  Hamilton  Howard,  for  many  years 
cashier  of  the  American  Bank  in  Hallowell ;  Elizabeth  Prince, 
who  married  Thomas  Little;  Mary  Gardiner,  who  married 
Thomas  G.  Jewett  of  .Gardiner;  and  Sarah  Colburn  who 
married  Samuel  A.  Gordon. 

Margaret  Howard,  daughter  of  Captain  James  and  Mary 

*   Old  Colonial  Houses  in  Maine,  pp.  78-88. 


Judge  Daniei.  Cony 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


29 


Howard,  married  Captain  James  Patterson.  The  wedding- 
took  place  February  8,  1763,  in  the  great  hving-room  of  Fort 
Western,  and  the  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  by  the 
bride's  father,  Captain  Howard,  who,  in  his  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  was  the  only  person  in  the  settlement  qualified  to 
officiate  at  the  nuptials  of  his  daughter. 

Old  Fort  Western,  the  home  of  the  Howards,  is  still 
standing  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec,  in  the  heart  of  the  city 
of  Augusta.  Its  gray  and  weather-beaten  walls  are  suggestive 
of  much  that  is  romantic  and  interesting  in  the  lives  of  the 
early  settlers  of  old  Hallowell;  and  this  time-honored  land- 
mark should  be  perpetually  preserved  as  a  monument  of  the 
ancient  town,  and  in  memory  of  its  brave  and  worthy  com- 
mander. Captain  James  Howard. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  many  new  settlers  were 
attracted  to  Hallowell  by  the  advantageous  location  of  the 
town;  and  among  the  most  notable  of  those  who  settled  at  the 
Fort  was  Deacon  Samuel  Cony  of  Shutesbury,  Massachusetts. 
Deacon  Cony  was  born  in  Boston  in  17 18,  and  was  therefore 
quite  advanced  in  years  when  he  came,  in  1777,  to  Hallowell, 
He  stands  on  record  as  **a  remarkably  mild  man"  and  a 
zealous  Christian.  He  was  the  founder  of  a  family  long  promi- 
nent in  the  annals  of  Hallowell  and  Augusta. 

Lieutenant  Samuel  Cony,  the  oldest  son  of  Deacon  Samuel, 
was  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  successful  men  of  the  town. 
He  settled  on  the  Seth  Greeley  lot  on  the  east  side  of  the  river 
and  soon  added  to  his  estate  so  that  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1779,  he  possesed  five  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Hallowell. 
Samuel  Cony  was  an  enthusiastic  patriot  durinj^  the  Revolu- 
tion; and  afterwards  served  as  Lieutenant  in  the  military 
organization  at  Hallowell.  His  name  was  inherited  by  his  son 
General  Samuel  Cony,  and  by  his  grandson,  Governor  Samuel 
Cony. 

Judge  Daniel  Cony,  the  second  son  of  Deacon  Samuel,  has 
left  a  notable  record.  Before  coming  to  Hallowell,  he  served 
in  the  Revolutionary  army,  and  was  present  at  the  surrender  of 
Burgoyne.    He  married  Susanna  Curtis  and  came  to  Hallowell 


30 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


in  1778.  Here  he  became  eminent  in  his  profession  and  also 
prominent  in  pohtical  affairs.  He  represented  Hallowell  in  the 
General  Court  of  Massachusetts  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Council.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  and  afterwards  Judge  of  Probate  for 
Kennebec  County.  He  was  also  deeply  interested  in  all  educa- 
tional movements  and  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  Hallowell 
Academy,  an  overseer  of  Bowdoin  College,  and  the  founder 
and  endower  of  Cony  Female  Academy. 

"Judge  Cony,"  writes  North,  "was  a  man  of  vigorous  intel- 
lect, sound  judgment,  quick  perception,  and  ready  resource. 
He  was  uniformly  successful  in  whatever  he  resolutely  under- 
took, was  a  strong  ally,  a  safe  and  vigorous  leader,  and  he 
attained  to  an  influence  with  his  fellow-men  which  few  acquire. 
Decision  and  firmness  were  conspicuous  traits  in  his  character, 
while  he  was  cool,  calculating,  sagacious. 

"In  his  latter  days,  the  Judge  had  an  eccentricity  of 
manner  which  was  dignified  and  harmless,  and  rather  added  to 
than  detracted  from  the  interest  of  personal  intercourse.  We 
recollect  when  a  boy  attending  a  meeting  in  the  South  parish 
meeting-house  and  seeing  the  Judge  walk  up  the  broad  aisle 
with  slow  and  measured  tread,  clad  in  a  tartan  plaid  coat  much 
like  the  morning  dressing-gown  of  gentlemen  of  the  present 
day.  A  red  cap  of  fine  worsted  covered  his  head,  from  beneath 
which  escaped  locks  frosted  to  a  snowy  whiteness  by  age.  In 
his  left  hand  he  held  a  cane  by  its  center  so  that  its  ivory  head 
appeared  above  his  shoulder.  His  form  was  erect  and  his 
appearance  venerable,  as  with  sedate  aspect  he  assumed  his 
seat  and  became  an  attentive  worshiper."  ^ 

Judge  Cony  lived  to  the  venerable  age  of  ninety  years  and 
died  January  21,  1842. 

Another  family  name  long  and  honorably  known  in  the 
annals  of  Old  Hallowell  was  that  borne  by  Captain  Seth 
Williams,  who  came  to  the  Fort  village  in  1779.  Captain 
Williams  was  a  descendant  of  Richard  Williams  of  Taunton, 
and  belonged  to  a  branch  of  the  English  family  that  traces  its 

^   NorWs  History  of  Augusta,  p.  172. 


Mrs.  Susanna  Curtis  Cony 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


31 


ancestry  back  to  Howell  Williams,  Lord  of  Ribour,  who  lived 
in  the  year  1400. 

The  dominant  qualities  of  the  English  Williams  family 
descended  to  their  American  representatives  who  settled  at 
Fort  Western.  Seth  Williams  was  a  man  of  forceful  character, 
strength  of  mind,  and  resolute  principles.  At  the  age  of 
nineteen  he  entered  the  Revolutionary  army  as  a  minute-man, 
and  was  promoted  for  valorous  conduct  to  the  ofhce  of  lieuten- 
ant of  his  company.  At  the  close  of  his  term  of  service,  he 
came  to  Hallowell  where  he  married  Zilpha  Ingraham,  the 
daughter  of  Jeremiah  Ingraham.  Captain  Williams  became  an 
influential  man  in  the  community  and  occupied  prominent 
offices  in  the  military  and  civic  organizations  of  the  town.  He 
was  also  Representative  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachu- 
setts in  1 81 3.  He  died,  honored  and  respected,  March  18, 
1 81 7,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one. 

The  sons  of  Seth  and  Zilpha  Williams  were  all  men  of 
ability  who  bore  an  honorable  part  in  the  upbuilding  of  their 
native  town.  Hon.  Reuel  Williams  was  educated  at  the 
Hallowell  Academy,  and  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1802.  He 
married,  November  19,  1807,  Sarah  Lowell  Cony,  daughter  of 
Hon.  Daniel  Cony.  A  few  years  later  he  purchased  for  his 
home  the  large  and  elegant  residence,  built  by  Arthur  Lithgow, 
and  since  known  as  the  Williams  mansion.  As  lawyer,  states- 
man, and  United  States  Senator,  Mr.  Williams  had  a  long  and 
honorable  career.  He  was  a  generous  and  public-spirited 
citizen,  interested  in  the  promotion  of  large  enterprises,  and  to 
him  the  material  development  and  permanent  prosperity  of  the 
city  of  Augusta  is  in  a  great  measure  due.  ^ 

Judge  Daniel  Williams,  the  fourth  son  of  Seth  and  Zilpha 
Williams,  studied  law  with  his  older  brother  Reuel,  and,  like 
bim,  held  numerous  offices  of  trust  and  honor  in  town  and 
state.  He  was  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  enterprise  for  the 
construction  of  the  Kennebec  dam,  and  expended  a  large  por- 
tion of  his  fortune  in  this  public-spirited  work.  Judge  Williams 
married,  for  his  first  wife,  Mary  Sawtelle  of  Norridgewock, 


32 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


His  second  wife  was  Hannah  Bridge,  the  daughter  of  Hon. 
James  Bridge. 

EHza  Williams,  born  October  30,  1799,  daughter  of  Seth 
and  Zilpha  Ingraham  Williams,  married  Eben  Fuller,  December 
21,  1 82 1,  and  founded  a  home  typical  of  the  true  New  England 
ideals.  She  was  a  woman  whose  beautiful  and  beneficent  life 
will  long  be  remembered. 

Joseph  North  was  the  son  of  Captain  John  North  and  was 
born  on  the  St.  George's  river  in  1739.  He  removed  first  to 
Gardinerstown,  and  thence  to  Fort  Western  in  1780.  He 
married  Hannah,  daughter  of  Gershom  Flagg,  one  of  the 
wealthy  Plymouth  proprietors  on  the  Kennebec ;  and,  through 
his  wife's  inheritance,  acquired  an  extensive  lot  of  land  reach- 
ing from  Market  Square  to  Bridge  Street.  There  was,  in 
1780,  no  road  along  the  river  shore.  Joseph  North  made  a 
clearing  in  the  forest  and  built  his  house  on  a  site  near  the 
corner  of  Oak  and  Water  Streets.  Here  he  laid  out  an 
extensive  garden  where  he  cultivated  all  varieties  of  flowers 
that  would  grow  in  this  locality. 

Joseph  North  succeeded  James  Howard  as  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and  remained  on  the  bench  of  Lincoln 
and  Kennebec  counties  for  twenty-two  years.  He  was  the 
grandfather  of  Hon.  James  W.  North,  the  author  of  the  His^ 
tory  of  Augttsta. 

Captain  Nathan  Weston  settled  first  at  the  Hook  in  1778, 
and  removed  to  the  Fort  in  1781.  He  engaged  actively  in 
trade,  built  a  wharf,  and  sent  out  a  vessel  which  for  many 
years  plied  back  and  forth  between  Hallowell  and  Boston. 
Like  other  successful  business  men  of  the  day,  he  entered  upon 
a  political  career,  held  oflices  of  local  trust,  was  representative 
to  the  General  Court  in  1799,  and  member  of  the  State 
Executive  Council.  His  son.  Judge  Nathan  Weston,  fitted  for 
college  at  the  old  Hallowell  Academy,  under  Preceptor  Samuel 
Moody,  graduated  at  Dartmouth,  and  became  one  of  Augusta's 
most  honored  sons.  Judge  Nathan  Weston  married  Paulina  B. 
Cony,  daughter  of  Judge  Daniel  Cony.  Their  daughter 
Catherine  married  Frederick  A.  Fuller  and  became  the  mother 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


33 


of  Judge  Melville  W.  Fuller,  the  eminent  Chief  Justice  of  the 
United  States. 

Thomas  and  Henry  Sewall  were  born  in  York,  Maine. 
They  came  from  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly  respectable 
families  in  Massachusetts,  and  were  descended  from  one  Henry 
Sewall  of  England,  "a  linen  draper,  who  acquired  great  estate, 
and  who  was  more  than  once  chosen  Mayor  of  Coventry." 
It  is  claimed  that  the  mayor  of  Coventry  traced  his  descent 
from  another  even  more  illustrious  Henry  Sewall  who  was 
none  other  than  the  Archbishop  of  York  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1250. 

Thomas  Sewall  came  to  the  Fort  Western  settlement  in 
Hallowell  in  1775.  He  was  a  tanner  and  made  the  first  leather 
that  was  manufactured  in  the  valley  of  the  Kennebec.  He 
married  Priscilla  Cony,  daughter  of  Deacon  Samuel  Cony,  and 
built  for  his  home  the  house  afterwards  owned  and  occupied  by 
Mr.  Allen  Lambard. 

General  Henry  Sewall  followed  his  brother  to  Fort 
Western  in  1783,  and  became  a  prosperous  merchant.  He 
served  as  town  clerk  in  Hallowell  and  Augusta  for  thirty-two 
years,  as  clerk  of  the  District  Court  of  Maine  for  twenty-nine 
years,  and  as  register  of  deeds  for  seventeen  years.  General 
Sewall  had  also  a  most  honorable  military  record.  He  entered 
the  Revolutionary  army  with  the  rank  of  corporal  and  rose 
to  the  rank  of  major.  After  coming  to  Hallowell,  he  was 
commissioned  Division  Inspector  and  Major  General  of  the 
militia. 

General  Sewall  always  assumed  a  prominent  part  in  all 
church  affairs  and  constituted  himself  the  censor  of  the  pulpit. 
He  was  a  critical  listener,  very  decided  in  his  /  opinions,  and 
orthodox  to  the  last  degree.  His  own  diary  and  the  church 
records  plainly  show  that  he  made  things  extremely  lively  and 
not  always  comfortable  for  the  ministerial  candidates  with 
whose  doctrines  he  disagreed.  He  finally  united  with  the 
South  Parish  church  at  the  Hook.  He  was  appointed  deacon 
in  this  church  and  "continued  a  member  therein — an  advocate 
of  the  doctrine  of  free  and  sovereign  grace." 


34 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


During  many  years  of  his  life,  General  Sewall  kept  a  diary 
from  which  North  draws  very  freely  in  his  History  of  Augusta. 
The  extracts  from  this  diary  throw  a  very  clear  light  on  the  life 
and  times  in  Old  Hallowell,  at  the  period  of  which  he  writes. 
His  remarks  upon  himself  and  his  own  doings  are  no  less 
frankly  illuminating  than  those  upon  his  neighbors.  General 
Sewall  may  very  fittingly  be  called  the  Samuel  Pepys  of 
Hallowell. 

The  Lithgow  family,  first  represented  in  Hallowell  by 
William  Lithgow,  Jr.,  came  of  ancient  and  honorable  ancestry. 
Their  genealogy  has  been  traced  to  *'the  probable  branch  in 
Scotland  of  which  Robert  the  emigrant  was  a  scion;"  and 
this  Scotch  family  "shows  an  uninterrupted  line  through 
Robert  de  Bruce  (i 274-1 329)  to  Egbert  (775-836)."  ^ 

William  Lithgow,  Jr.  was  the  son  of  Captain  William  and 
Sarah  Noble  Lithgow  of  Fort  Halifax,  and  grandson  of  Robert 
Lithgow  the  emigrant  who  came  to  this  country  with  the 
Temple  colony  in  1719.  William  Lithgow,  Jr.  received  a  good 
education  and  studied  law  with  James  Sullivan  of  Biddeford. 
On  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  he  entered  the  army  and 
served  with  honor  during  the  war.  He  was  present  at  the 
surrender  of  Burgoyne;  and  his  portrait  may  be  seen  in 
Trumbull's  painting  of  that  historical  event. 

In  1788,  William  Lithgow  came  to  the  village  at  the  Fort 
and  was  the  first  resident  lawyer  on  the  Kennebec  north  of 
Pownalborough . 

Mr.  Lithgow  was  learned  and  eloquent  in  his  profession 
He  was  also  remarkable  for  his  "noble  figure,  manly  beauty, 
and  accomplished  manners."  He  was  prominent  in  poUtical 
life  and  held  numerous  oflfices  of  pubUc  trust.  He  was  district 
attorney  for  five  years,  and  was  twice  senator  from  Lincoln 
county  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  com- 
missioned Major  General  of  the  mihtia  in  1787.  It  was  while 
General  Lithgow  and  Judge  Cony  were  so  prominently  before 
the  public  that  one  of  their  political  opponents  petulantly 
remarked:  "There  are  certain  men  in  society  who  seem  to 

*  The  Lithgow  Library  and  Reading-Room,  p.  l8. 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


35 


have  hereditary  claim  to  every  office  in  the  power  of  the  people 

to  bestow."  1136495 

Colonel  Arthur  Lithgow,  a  brother  of  General  William 
Lithgow,  was  appointed  the  first  Sheriff  of  Kennebec  County, 
in  1799.  He  married  Martha  Bridge  of  Pownalborough  and 
built  the  elegant  mansion  now  known  as  the  Ruel  Williams 
house,  where  he  resided  until  his  removal  from  town  about 
1809.  Colonel  Lithgow  maintained  the  family  reputation  for 
official  ability,  generous  hospitality,  and  genial  companionship. 
He  was  described  by  his  friend,  Mr.  John  H.  Sheppard,  as 
"one  of  nature's  noblemen." 

A  third  brother,  James  Noble  Lithgow,  married  Ann 
Gardiner,  daughter  of  John  Gardiner,  the  celebrated  lawyer  of 
Dresden,  and  son  of  Dr.  Sylvester  Gardiner.  Their  son 
Llewellyn  W.  Lithgow,  married  first:  Mary  Bowman,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Bowman  of  Augusta ;  second:  Paulina  P.  Child, 
daughter  of  Elisha  Child  of  Augusta.  The  Lithgow 
Library"  at  Augusta,  owes  its  existence  to  Llewellyn  Lith- 
gow, and  is  a  worthy  monument  to  the  name  and  to  the 
generosity  and  public  spirit  of  its  founder. 

Another  able  and  eminent  man,  without  whom  this 
notable  group  of  settlers  at  the  Fort  would  be  incomplete,  was 
Hon.  James  Bridge.  In  1790,  while  the  village  was  rapidly 
growing  under  the  leadership  of  the  men  already  mentioned, 
James  Bridge,  a  Harvard  graduate,  who  had  read  law  with 
Theophilus  Parsons  of  Newburyport,  came  to  Hallowell  and 
opened  a  law  office  in  a  room  of  old  Fort  Western.  As 
General  William  Lithgow  had  then  retired  from  practice, 
James  Bridge  was  the  only  lawyer  in  Hallowell  uhtil  the  arrival 
of  Hon.  Amos  Stoddard,  at  the  Hook,  in  1794.  Mr.  Bridge 
soon  attained  distinction  in  his  profession,  and  was  appointed 
Judge  of  Probate  at  the  time  of  the  organization  of  Kennebec 
county.  Other  public  honors  were  conferred  upon  him  by  his 
fellow-citizens.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Executive  Council  of 
Massachusetts,  a  delegate  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of 
Maine  in  1820,  and  one  of  the  commissioners  that  served  under 
the  act  of  separation. 


36 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Ke7mebec 


In  private,  as  in  public  life,  Judge  Bridge  was  highly 
esteemed.  He  married  Hannah  North,  daughter  of  Hon. 
Joseph  North,  and  was  the  father  of  an  interesting  and  notable 
family. 

Other  well-known  and  highly  respected  men  settled  at  the 
Fort  prior  to  the  year  1797.  Amos  Pollard,  the  inn-keeper, 
came  in  1777;  Beriah  Ingraham,  in  1778;  Benjamin  Pet- 
tengill  and  Elias  Craig,  in  1779  ;  Jeremiah  Ingraham,  in  1780; 
Samuel  Titcomb  and  James  Hewins,  in  1783  ;  William  Brooks, 
in  1784;  James  Child,  in  1786;  Samuel  Church,  in  1787; 
George  Crosby,  in  1789;  James  Burton,  prior  to  1794; 
Barnabas  Lambard,  father  of  Allen  and  Thomas  Lambard, 
in  1794  ;  Theophilus  Hamlen  and  his  sons,  Lewis,  Perez,  and 
Lot,  in  1795. 

In  the  meantime,  while  the  settlement  at  the  Fort  was 
thus  increasing  in  size  and  prosperity,  the  large  and  valuable 
estates  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Hallowell  and  Dr.  Sylvester  Gardiner 
were  opened  to  settlers,  and  the  Hook  soon  received  such  a 
remarkable  impetus,  through  the  coming  of  a  large  number  of 
men  of  wealth,  culture,  and  enterprise  that,  during  the  next 
generation,  it  quite  outdistanced  its  rival  village  at  the  Fort. 

Sketches  of  the  families  that  were  most  prominently 
identified  with  the  history  of  this  part  of  the  town  will  appear 
later  in  our  story ;  but  the  names  of  the  earlier  settlers,  with 
the  dates  of  their  coming,  should  here  be  inscribed  in  advance, 
like  the  names  of  the  characters  in  a  play,  for  they  represent 
the  actors  who  first  took  a  recognized  part  in  the  drama  of 
every-day  life  at  the  Hook. 

Preeminent  among  these  early  residents  were  Charles  and 
Benjamin  Vaughan,  two  English  gentlemen  of  wealth, 
education,  and  high  social  position  whose  arrival  at  Hallowell 
at  once  conferred  distinction  upon  the  place.  To  the  public 
spirit  and  indefatigable  efforts  of  these  two  brothers,  the  early 
development  and  upbuilding  of  the  village  at  the  Hook  were  in 
a  great  measure  due. 

Mr.  Charles  Vaughan  came  to  Hallowell  about  1791,  and 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


37 


settled  on  the  estate  of  his  maternal  grandfather,  Benjamin 
Hallowell.  Mr.  Vaughan  saw  at  once  the  great  possibilities  of 
this  location  and  entered  upon  extensive  business  enterprises 
with  the  utmost  courage  and  enthusiasm.  He  built  and 
equipped  a  large  flour-mill  on  the  banks  of  the  Bombahook 
stream  in  1793.  He  constructed  a  fine  wharf  at  Bombahook 
point  and  erected  stores  and  warehouses  in  that  vicinity.  He 
cleared  a  large  farm  and  imported  stock  from  the  best  herds  in 
England.  He  was  also  extensively  interested  in  horticulture 
and  introduced  from  England  a  great  variety  of  fruit  trees, 
small  fruits,  and  vegetables  all  of  which  he  distributed  with  a 
liberal  hand  to  the  farmers  of  the  surrounding  country. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  who  came  to  Hallowell  in  1797, 
was  no  less  influential  in  promoting  the  public  welfare.  Dr. 
Vaughan  was  a  graduate  of  Edinburgh  University,  an  eminent 
physician,  a  remarkable  scholar,  and  a  gentleman  of  the  highest 
culture  and  refinement.  Like  his  brother.  Dr.  Vaughan  was 
interested  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  his  gardens  and 
orchards  were  filled  with  rare  flowers  and  fruits.  Under  his 
supervision,  apples,  cherries,  plums,  and  peaches  flourished 
wonderfully  in  this  new  soil  and  climate ;  and  scions  from  the 
Vaughan  gardens  were  eagerly  sought  by  the  neighboring 
farmers. 

In  their  business  operations,  the  Vaughans  gave  employ- 
ment to  many  of  the  village  people.  They  built  comfortable 
homes  for  the  employees;  and  through  their  agricultural  and 
manufacturing  enterprises,  they  induced  numerous  families  of 
an  exceptionally  good  class  to  settle  at  the  Hook. 

The  homes  of  Charles  and  Benjamin  Vaughan  were  social 
and  intellectual  centers  from  which  radiated  an  irifluence  for  all 
that  is  good  and  uplifting.  This  influence  permeated  the 
whole  community  and  has  not  ceased  to  be  felt  to  the  present 
day.  The  coming  of  the  Vaughans  to  Hallowell  was  an  event 
of  incalculable  importance  at  a  critical  period  of  the  town's 
history ;  and  the  impetus  which  it  gave  to  the  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  place,  materially,  socially,  morally,  and 
intellectually,  can  not  be  over  estimated. 


38 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Two  other  English  gentlemen  whose  names  have  a 
prominent  place  in  the  annals  of  Old  Hallowell  were  Mr.  John 
Sheppard  and  Mr.  John  Merrick. 

Mr.  Sheppard  appears  upon  the  scene  of  our  story  about 
1790.  He  settled  near  the  place  afterwards  known  as 
Sheppard' s  wharf,  and  there  carried  on  a  large  mercantile 
business.  He  was  also  concerned  with  the  Vaughans  in  build- 
ing a  brewery  and  in  other  important  enterprises.  Mr. 
Sheppard  was  a  man  of  education  and  culture,  and  his  family 
occupied  a  high  social  position  in  the  town. 

Mr.  John  Merrick  came  from  England  with  the  family  of 
Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  in  1797.  He  married  Miss  Rebecca 
Vaughan,  daughter  of  Samuel  Vaughan,  and  settled  on  the  fine 
old  esta.te  long  known  as  the  Merrick  place.  Mr.  Merrick 
lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five  years,  and  .during  his 
whole  life  he  kept  in  close  touch  with  public  affairs,  and  was  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  development  of  the  town. 

The  names  of  other  early  residents  who  enacted  an  influ- 
ential and  useful  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Hook  are  given  in 
the  following  record : 

Briggs  Hallowell,  son  of  Benjamin  Hallowell,  Esq.,  repre- 
sented his  father's  estate  at  the  Hook  as  early  as  1768.  John 
Couch  took  up  land  in  1772.  Shubael  and  Thomas  Hinckley 
settled  on  the  Plains  in  1773.  William  Matthews  was  at  the 
Hook  in  1779.  Nathaniel  Cheever,  bookseller  and  printer,  and 
Elisha  Nye,  ship  captain,  came  in  1781  ;  Benjamin  Prescott,  in 
1783;  David  Sewall,  merchant  and  Justice  of  the  Peace,  in 
1784;  John  Hains,  Obediah  Harris,  and  Eliphalet  Oilman,  in 
1785;  Moses  and  John  Sewall,  in  1787  ;  Alfred  Martin,  Thomas 
Metcalf,  and  William  Dorr,  in  1788  ;  Hon.  Nathaniel  Dummer, 
post-master,  magistrate,  and  legislator,  in  1789;  Jason  Liver- 
more,  John  Beeman,  and  Samuel  Dutton,  prior  to  1790.  Dr. 
Benjamin  Page,  Hon.  John  O.  Page,  Aaron  Page,  James 
Norris,  and  Hon.  Chandler  Robbins  were  men  of  consequence 
in  the  community  in  1791.  Hon.  Amos  Stoddard,  the  first 
lawyer  at  the  Hook,  was  established  here  early  in  1794. 
Ebenezer  Mayo,  Deacon  James  Gow,  William  Morse.  Jr.,  and 


Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook 


39 


Daniel  Evans,  came  in  1793  ;  Thomas  Lakeman,  Nathaniel 
Colcord,  and  Hon.  Nathaniel  Perley,  in  1794  ;  James  Partridge, 
Philip  Lord,  Abner  Lowell,  and  William  Drew  in  1797. 

The  influence  of  these  important  accessions  was  at  once 
felt  at  the  Hook.  Life  in  this  growing  community  soon  broad- 
ened in  its  local  interests  and  in  its  outlook  upon  state  and 
national  affairs.  The  frequent  contact  of  the  leading  inhab- 
itants of  the  village  with  men  and  matters  of  the  outside  world 
resulted  in  the  establishment  of  new  enterprises  at  home. 
Public  spirit  was  stimulated ;  and  the  foundation  for  the 
remarkable  subsequent  prosperity  of  this  section  of  the  town 
was  laid  before  the  people  of  Fort  and  Hook  came  to  the 
parting  of  the  ways. 


IV 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    AND   RELIGIOUS  SERVICES 
OF  THE  PERIOD 

"  Oh,  tell  me  true  what  they  used  to  do !  " 
My  child,  it  was  long  ago. 

Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson 

^^S  THE  period  from  1771  to  1797  marked  a  distinct 
^%     era,  not  only  in  the  civic  but  also  in  the  social  and 
^  reUgious  development  of  the  town,  it  will  now  be 
interesting  to  briefly  consider  the  every-day  life  of  the 
people  of  this  time  and  the  efforts  that  were  made  to  establish 
a    church    and  provide  for    the    spiritual  welfare    of  its 
congregation. 

During  the  few  years  following  the  incorporation  of 
Hallowell,  in  1771,  the  town  began  to  increase  in  population 
and  prosperity.  The  farmers,  the  fishermen,  the  lumbermen, 
and  the  traders  prospered  in  their  business,  and  many  of  the 
comforts  and  some  of  the  luxuries  of  life  were  brought  into  the 
homes  of  the  people.  The  Howards,  who  were  very  enterpris- 
ing business  men,  carried  on  a  large  coasting  trade  between  the 
Kennebec  and  Boston,  and  also  sent  their  vessels  to  Newfound- 
land and  the  West  Indies.  In  1773,  they  owned  three  sloops, 
the  PheniXy  the  Industry^  and  the  Two  Brothers.  In  these 
trading  vessels,  the  Howards  sent  out  moose-skins,  beaver, 
sable,  lumber,  shingles,  etc.,  and  brought  back  rum,  molasses, 
tea,  coffee,  spices,  hats,  shoes,  blankets,  nails,  ribbons,  laces, 
and  other  salable  commodities. 

Domestic  manufactures  at  this  time  were  encouraged  and 
extensively  carried  on,  for  the  people  were  unwilling  to  buy 
British  goods.  Calico  was  then  six  shillings  a  yard  and  not  in 
general  use.  The  women  spun  and  wove  their  own  flax  into 
cloth  from  which  they  made  their  bed  and  table  linen,  and 
much  of  their  own  wearing  apparel.  "  Tow"  cloth  was  worn  by 
the  men  and  boys  for  shirts  and  loose  trousers  in  the  summer 


Every-day  Life  of  the  Period 


41 


season.  In  winter,  small-clothes  of  moose  or  deer  skin,  with  a 
jacket  and  cap  of  fur,  constituted  a  most  comfortable  costume. 

The  young  girls  took  an  important  part  in  all  the  house- 
hold tasks.  They  assisted  in  spinning  and  weaving,  and  in 
their  spare  hours  they  scoured  the  pewter,  made  the  soap,  and 
dipped  the  candles.  For  fancy  work  they  knit  mittens  and 
socks,  often  introducing  elaborate  stitches,  like  "herring-bone," 
"fox  and  geese,"  or  "open-work."  Pegging  and  netting  were 
considered  accomplishments ;  and  some  very  beautiful  bead 
bags  and  purses,  and  some  very  astonishing  "  samplers," 
handed  down  from  those  old  days,  bear  witness  to  the  art 
instincts  of  our  great  grandmothers. 

The  upper  and  more  prosperous  classes  dressed  more 
elegantly,  in  accordance  with  the  conventional  fashions  of  the 
day.  Some  of  our  grand  old  dames  of  yore  had  chintzes,  silks, 
and  brocades,  with  ornaments  and  laces  brought  from  Boston 
or  from  some  foreign  port.  They  wore  high-heeled  shoes, 
hooped  petticoats,  and  tight-laced  stays.  Elaborately  wrought 
kerchiefs,  ornamental  combs,  jeweled  belt-buckles,  rings,  and 
pins  which  were  the  personal  possessions  of  our  foremothers 
are  still  cherished  as  heirlooms  in  many  of  the  families  of  old 
Hallowell. 

The  men  were  even  more  conspicuous  than  the  women  by 
the  elegance  of  their  dress.  A  very  excellent  description  of 
the  costume  of  a  gentleman  of  the  Revolutionary  period  is 
given  by  Eaton  in  his  Annals  of  Warren.  This  is  a  pen- 
picture  worthy  of  preservation. 

**On  the  head  was  placed  a  fine,  napless,  beaver  h/at,  with  a  brim 
two  feet  broad  turned  up  on  three  sides.  ...  One  side  of  extra  width 
was  placed  squarely  behind,  while  the  angle  formed  by  the  other  two, 
directly  over  the  nose,  gave  the  countenance  an  imposing  appearance 
and  formed  a  convenient  handle  by  which,  on  meeting  persons  of 
dignity,  it  was  raised  with  all  the  gravity  of  ceremony.  .  .  .  Under 
the  hat  the  head  was  still  farther  defended  by  a  wig,  which  varied  at 
different  times  and  with  different  persons,  from  the  full-bottomed  curls 
on  the  shoulders,  to  the  club,  or  tie  wig,  which  had  about  a  natural 
share  of  hair  tied  behind,  with  two  or  three  very  formal  curls  over  each 
ear. 

**  The  coat  was  made  with  a  stiff,  upright  collar  reaching  from  ear 


42 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


to  ear,  and  descended  perpendicularly  in  front,  with  a  broad  back,  and 
skirts  thickly  padded  over  the  theighs  and  ornamented  with  gold  and 
silver  lace.  The  waistcoat  was  single-breasted,  without  a  collar,  and 
skirts  rounded  off,  descending  over  the  hips.  Small  clothes  were 
buttoned  and  buckled  at  the  knee.  Stockings  covered  the  rest  of  the 
leg ;  and  the  foot  was  defended  with  a  shoe,  secured,  at  first,  with  a 
moderate  sized  silver  or  other  metallic  buckle,  which  continued  to 
increase  in  size  and  vary  in  shape  till  it  covered  a  great  part  of  the 
foot.  .  .  .  The  shirt  was  furnished  with  ruffles  at  the  bosom  and 
wrists.  Sleeve  buttons  of  brass,  silver,  or  gold,  often  set  with  stones, 
were  a  necessary  addition  to  this  costume."  ' 

Here  we  have  a  picture,  from  top  to  toe,  of  the  gentleman 
of  quality  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution.  Such  was  the 
costume  of  the  dignitaries  of  old  Hallowell  who  bore  the  titles 
of  Captain,  Judge,  Esquire,  and  Deacon,  and  also  of  many  of 
the  humbler  inhabitants  of  the  town. 

After  the  war,  some  changes  were  made  in  the  fashions. 
The  style  of  ''French  Pantaloons"  was  introduced  by  the 
French  officers  during  the  Revolution  ;  the  wig  was  succeeded 
by  the  long  cue  and  club  of  natural  hair,  which,  however,  was 
often  eked  out  with  a  false  strand  ;  and  the  scarlet  gold-laced 
coat  gave  way  to  garments  of  more  sombre  hue. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  poet,  who  bewailed  the  spirit 
of  his  age,  was  constrained  to  write  : 

' '  And  what  has  become  of  your  old-fashioned  cloathes. 
Your  long-sided  doublet  and  your  trunk  hose, 
They've  turned  to  new  fashioned  but  what  the  I^ord  knows, 
And  is  not  old  England  grown  new  ! 

"  New  trickings,  new  goings,  new  measures,  new  paces. 
New  heads  for  your  men,  for  women  new  faces. 
And  twenty  new  tricks  to  mend  their  bad  cases, 

And  is  not  old  England  grown  new  !  "  ^ 

"At  the  present  day,  such  a  village  as  old  Hallowell," 
writes  Judge  Weston,  "  would  be  without  attraction,  promising 
nothing  to  stir  the  pulse  of  life.  Such  an  inference  would 
create  an  erroneous  impression  of  the  actual  conditions  here  at 
this  period.  The  place  was  full  of  life  and  animation.  It  was 
the  central  point  of  a  great  part  of  Kennebec  county.  The 

^  Eaton's  Annals  of  Warren^  p.  141. 
2  Ballads  about  New  England. 


Every-day  Life  of  the  Period 


43 


river  was  the  thoroughfare  of  travel ;  by  its  waters  in  summer, 
and  on  the  ice  in  winter.  The  Fort  .  .  .  was  resorted  to  for 
supplies,  for  exchanges,  and  for  information  in  regard  to  pass- 
ing events.  All  classes  of  people  from  various  settlements 
came  here,  not  only  on  business,  but  to  seek  exhilaration  from 
association  with  others." 

These  numerous  guests  of  high  and  low  degree  all  found 
shelter  and  entertainment  in  the  public  inns  or  taverns  of  the 
town.  These  hostelries  of  Fort  and  Hook,  like  those  of  all 
New  England  towns,  were  centers  of  social  and  political  life. 
Here  the  people  congregated  and  discussed  the  exciting  ques- 
tions of  the  day.  Local  politics,  the  election  of  a  representa- 
tive to  General  Court,  or  the  measures  of  the  Federal 
Government  were  alike  subjects  of  absorbing  interest. 
Pollard's  tavern  was  a  typical  hostelry  of  the  period.  Here, 
we  are  told,  "  the  men  of  the  town  often  poured  into  their  cup 
of  enjoyment  too  large  an  infusion  of  artificial  stimulants,  and 
the  gambols  of  exuberant  spirits  were  often  more  exciting  than 
commendable;"  but  this  was  in  the  days  before  the  temper- 
ance movement  had  banished  the  wine  cup,  and  all  the 
dignitaries  of  the  town  and  even  the  divines  of  the  church 
sanctioned  by  their  example  the  common  custom  of  drinking, 
both  at  home  and  on  public  occasions.  What  then  could 
be  expected  of  the  common  people  .? 

The  social  life  of  the  women  at  this  period  was  necessarily 
very  restricted.  As  there  were  no  carriages  in  Hallowell,  at 
this  time,  the  matrons  and  maidens  rode  on  horseback,  often 
mounted  on  pillions  behind  the  good-men  of  the  town,  and  paid 
their  neighborly  visits  in  this  manner.  An  illustration  of  the 
unconventional  visiting  and  of  the  spirit  of  hospitality  that 
prevailed  in  old  Hallowell  in  these  days  is  given  by  North  from 
Mrs.  Ballard's  diary. 

"On  tlie  9th  of  Feb.  1786,  Bphraim  and  Mrs.  Ballard  with 
Amos  and  Mrs.  Pollard  who  lived  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  went  ta 
Samuel  BuUen's  on  the  east  side  and  dined  ;  from  thence,  with  the 
accession  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bullen,  Baker  Town,  Mr.  Shaw,  and  Mr. 
Davis,  they  proceeded  to  Samuel  Button's  on  the  west  side  where  they 
met  Dr.  Cony  and  Lady,  and  spent  the  evening  very  agreeably,  arriving 
at  home  at  midnight." 


44 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


This  seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of  a  progressive  and 
cumulative  house-party. 

As  the  roads  began  to  widen,  carriages  were  gradually 
introduced  among  the  more  prosperous  townspeople,  but  not 
without  some  opposition  from  the  conservative  folk  who 
thought  the  wheeled  vehicles  would  cause  havoc  by  frightening 
the  horses.  Much  traveling  for  business  and  pleasure  was  also 
done  by  sailing  or  canoeing  up  and  down  the  river. 

In  1784,  Henry  and  Thomas  Sewall  and  Elias  Craig  built  a 
great  canoe  in  which  family  parties  frequently  made  visits  to 
Pittston,  Georgetown,  and  other  places  down  the  river.  The 
first  recorded  trip  of  this  great  canoe "  was  made  on  a 
certain  Sunday  when  her  owners  and  others  went  to  a  meet- 
ing in  Pittston  where  they  heard  the  Rev.  Mr.  McLean 
preach." 

During  this  same  year  General  Henry  Sewall  made  an 
eventful  journey  to  Boston  on  horseback  for  the  purpose  of 
purchasing  goods.  He  rode  down  the  eastern  side  of  the  river 
to  Pownalborough,  swam  his  horse  across  the  Eastern  river, 
lodged  at  the  house  of  his  uncle,  Henry  Sewall,  at  Bath.  From 
there  he  rode  to  Falmouth  ;  and  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  day, 
he  reached  the  home  of  his  father  at  York,  where  he  spent 
eight  or  nine  days.  Continuing  his  journey,  he  visited  friends 
at  Newbury  port  and  at  Cambridge  where  he  "stopped"  at 
Stephen  Sewall' s.  The  return  journey  was  alleviated  by  a 
succession  of  visits,  and  after  an  absence  of  thirty-five  days, 
fifteen  of  which  had  been  spent  on  horseback,  General  Sewall 
reached  his  own  home  at  Fort  Western.  Here  he  found  that 
his  goods,  which  had  been  shipped  in  Howard's  sloop,  had 
already  arrived  from  Boston. 

This  incident  furnishes  a  typical  illustration  of  a  journey 
into  the  great  world  before  the  establishment  of  the  famous 
line  of  Hallowell  packets,  and  of  the  enterprise  of  the  business 
men  in  these  primitive  times.  During  the  next  decade  the 
facilities  for  traveling  greatly  increased ;  and  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century  there  was  a  marked  advancement  in  the 
general  conditions  of  every-day  life  in  Hallowell. 


Religious  Services  of  the  Period 


45 


While  some  progress  was  thus  being  made  in  civic  and 
social  affairs  at  old  Hallowell,  the  religious  and  spiritual  life  of 
the  people  was  not  entirely  neglected.  Our  early  settlers  were 
from  the  first  a  law-abiding,  God-fearing  community ;  they 
accordingly  made  an  effort  to  establish  religious  services  and  to 
support  a  minister  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to  do  so.  The 
records  of  the  early  church  in  Hallowell  therefore  constitute  an 
essential  part  in  the  life-story  of  the  people. 

In  considering  these  ancient  records,  we  cannot  fail  to  be 
deeply  impressed,  by  the  very  remarkable  character  and  the 
unusual  talents  of  the  numerous  candidates  for  the  pulpit  in 
Hallowell  prior  to  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stone  at  the 
Fort  and  of  Rev.  Mr.  Gillet  at  the  Hook.  The  mere  mention 
of  the  names  of  these  candidates  gives  to  the  present  genera- 
tion no  adequate  idea  of  the  remarkable  qualifications  of  the 
men  ;  but  a  brief  study  of  their  life  and  subsequent  work  in  the 
ministry  reveals,  in  each  instance,  a  most  interesting  and  note- 
worthy story. 

In  the  first  place,  these  candidates  for  the  pulpit  were  all 
college  graduates.  Our  forefathers  demanded  and  always 
secured  educated  men  for  their  pastors  ;  and  it  is  with  difficulty 
that  we  now  realize  how  profoundly  learned  these  ministerial 
graduates  of  Harvard,  Yale,  and  Dartmouth  were  in  these  early 
days.  I  doubt  whether  any  of  the  candidates  for  our  pulpits, 
in  the  present  generation,  have  come  to  us  so  thoroughly 
versed  in  the  classic  tongues  and  so  familiar  with  Latin, 
Greek,  and  Hebrew  literature  as  were  these  eighteenth  century 
ministers. 

Even  the  entrance  requirements  at  Harvard ^'at  this  period 
would  have  excluded  from  that  institution  many  young  men 
who  are  considered  "fitted  for  college"  at  the  present  time. 
Take,  for  instance,  this  condition :  When  any  scholar  is  able 
to  understand  Tully  or  such  like  classical  author  extempore,  and 
make  and  speak  true  Latin  in  verse  and  prose ;  .  .  .  and 
decline  perfectly  the  paradigms  of  nouns  and  verbs  in  the 
Greek  tongue,  let  him  then  and  not  before  be  capable  of  admis- 
sion into  college."  ^ 

^  Pierce.   History  of  Harvard  University^  K'^^^ndS.yi 


46 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


After  entering  the  college,  the  student  was  obliged  to 
drop  the  English  language  and  use  Latin  as  the  medium  of 
conversation.'^  Moreover,  the  course  of  study  at  Harvard 
included  grammar,  rhetoric,  logic,  arithmetic,  geometry, 
physics,  astronomy,  ethics,  politics,  divinity ;  exercises  in 
style,  composition,  epitome  both  in  prose  and  verse ;  Greek, 
Latin,  Hebrew,  Syriac,  and  Chaldee.  No  one  was  deemed 
*'fit  to  be  dignified  with  his  first  degree  until  he  was  found 
able  to  read  the  originals  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
into  the  Latin  tongue  and  to  resolve  them  logically."  ''This 
extraordinary  training  in  the  ancient  languages,"  writes  Profes- 
sor Tyler,  "led  to  forms  of  proficiency  that  have  no  parallel 
now  in  American  colleges."  It  was  no  wonder  that  one  of  the 
presidents  of  this  ancient  university  was  accustomed  to  close 
his  chapel  prayers  by  asking  the  Lord  to  bless  Harvard 
College  and  all  inferior  institutions.^ 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  brief  reference  to  the  college 
curriculum,  why  the  minister,  in  olden  times,  was  looked  up  to 
not  only  as  the  spiritual  but  as  the  intellectual  leader  of  his 
flock.  He  was  the  equal  and  often  the  superior  of  any  man  in 
his  congregation.  Therefore,  when  we  read  of  the  early  candi- 
dates for  the  pulpit  in  Hallowell,  let  us  not  forget  that  they 
were  all  men  of  profound  learning  who  literally  possessed  the 
gift  of  tongues. 

The  very  first  minister  who  preached  to  our  early  settlers 
was  the  Rev.  Jacob  Bailey,  of  Pownalborough.  Our  town 
records  contain  but  one  brief  entry  in  regard  to  this  ancient 
divine  and  that  is  from  his  own  journal  of  April  8th,  1763,  "I 
preached  however  at  Captain  Howard's  and  had  a  considerable 
congregation  of  the  upper  settlers."  And  yet  who  was  this 
ancient  divine  who  came  to  this  obscure  little  hamlet  on  the 
Kennebec,  and  to  whom  the  Howards,  the  Clarks,  the  Coxes, 
the  Davenports,  and  other  settlers  had  the  honor  of  listening  at 
that  early  date }  He  was  a  Harvard  graduate  of  the  famous 
class  of  1755, — a  class  that  counted  among  its  members  John 
Adams,  President  of  the  United  States  ;  John  Wentworth, 

^  Quincy's/^wtorj'  of  Harvard  University,  Vol.  I,  p.  575- 

2  Tyler's  American  Literature  During  the  Colonial  Time,  Vol.  II,  p.  308. 


Religious  Services  of  the  Period 


47 


Royal  Governor  of  New  Hampshire;  William  Brown,  Royal 
Governor  of  Bermuda;  David  Sewall,  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Massachusetts;  Samuel  Locke,  President  of  Harvard 
in  1770;  Charles  Gushing  and  Jonathan  Bowman  of  Pownal- 
borough;  and  other  eminent  men  of  whom  Jacob  Bailey  was  in 
liis  college  days  the  intellectual  peer.  He  had  not  only 
enjoyed  social  advantages  at  home  as  the  guest  of  Sir  William 
Pepperell  and  of  Governor  Wentworth  of  New  Hampshire,  but 
he  had  traveled  abroad  and  dined  with  his  illustrious  country- 
man, Benjamin  FrankUn,  in  London.  More  than  this,  he  had 
been  received  by  the  Bishop  of  London,  entertained  by  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  the  famous  palace  of  Lambeth, 
and  had  dined  with  his  lordship,  the  Bishop  of  Rochester,  and 
the  Bishop  of  London's  lady  in  a  vast  marble  hal],  "at  a  table 
attended  by  ten  servants,  and  covered  with  silver  dishes  and 
drinking  cups  either  of  glass  or  solid  gold,  and  on  which  twenty- 
four  different  dishes  were  served  all  dressed  in  such  an  elegant 
manner  that  many  of  the  guests  could  scarce  eat  a  mouthful."  ^ 

While  in  London,  Mr.  Bailey  took  holy  orders  in  the 
Church  of  England.  He  was  then  sent,  by  the  Society  for 
Propagating  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  as  a  frontier  mission- 
ary, to  the  wilds  of  the  Kennebec.  The  after-story  of  the  life 
of  this  learned  and  able  minister,  and  of  his  zealous  efforts  for 
the  salvation  of  souls  in  this  hitherto  entirely  neglected  region, 
is  one  of  absorbing  interest.  His  heroic  and  successful  labors 
on  the  Kennebec  ended,  unfortunately,  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Revolution  when,  as  a  Tory  minister,  loyal  to  his  church  and 
his  king,  he  was  driven  from  his  home  and  obliged  to  take 
refuge  in  Halifax.  He  was  afterwards  settled  over  a  parish  at 
Annapolis,  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  was  honored  /rector  of  St. 
Luke's  for  twenty-four  years. 

The  next  minister  who  dispensed  the  bread  of  life  to  the 
needy  congregation  at  Old  Hallowell  was  the  Rev.  John  Murray. 
This  celebrated  clergyman  was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of 
Edinburgh  where  he  completed  his  course  "with  high  honor." 

Upon  his  arrival  in  this  country  in  1763,  he  went  to  visit 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Jean  Murray  Reed,  at  Boothbay,  and  while 

*  Bartlett's  Frontier  Misnonary,  p.  63. 


48 


Old  Hallowell  oji  the  Ke^inebec 


there  promised  the  people  that  if  they  were  ever  able  to  support 
a  minister,  he  would  come  again  and  settle  with  them.  He  then 
went  to  Philadelphia  where  his  genius  and  powers  of  oratory 
were  at  once  recognized;  and,  in  1765,  he  was  called  to  the 
Second  Presbyterian  Church  of  that  city.  The  following  year 
the  people  of  Boothbay  built  a  meeting-house  and  requested 
Mr.  Murray  to  redeem  his  promise.  It  was  only  after  great 
persuasion,  and  with  great  regret,  that  the  Philadelphia  church 
released  their  new  and  highly  esteemed  pastor. 

This  remarkable  man  was  considered  by  many  as  the  peer 
of  Whitefield  in  the  pulpit.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  intellect, 
unwavering  purpose,  and  magnetic  personality;  and  these 
characteristics  were  accompanied  by  rare  graces  of  heart. 
Wherever  he  preached,  the  churches  were  filled  to  overflowing. 
He  was  the  most  popular  and  distinguished  minister  of  his 
time  in  Maine.  His  sermons  were  often  two  and  three  hours 
long,  but  the  attention  of  his  audiences  never  wavered.  His 
fame  extended  throughout  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts, 
and  he  received  frequent  calls  to  settle  in  those  states. 

Mr.  Murray  was  a  handsome  man  of  fine  personal 
appearance.  He  wore,  in  the  pulpit,  a  white  wig,  gown,  and 
bands,  and  was  remarkable  for  his  dignified  and  imposing 
presence. 

In  the  year  1773,  the  selectmen  of  Hallowell  were 
authorized  to  procure  preaching  for  two  months  and  as  much 
longer  as  they  found  "money  in  the  treasurer's  hands  for  that 
use."  Accordingly  the  Rev.  Mr.  Murray  was  invited  to  preach 
at  Fort  Western.  The  passage  of  the  reverend  gentleman  up 
the  river  was  made  in  a  large  canoe  rowed  by  hired  oarsmen. 
It  is  stated  that  the  style  and  state  in  which  he  came  would  be 
quite  equal  to  that  of  a  coach  and  span  of  horses  at  the  present 
day. 

What  impression  this  remarkable  preacher  made  upon  the 
people  of  Hallowell  is  not  a  matter  of  record ;  but  it  is  evident 
that  they  could  offer  him  no  inducement  to  settle  with  them. 
Mr.  Murray  remained  the  devoted  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Boothbay  for  fourteen  years.  He  married  Susanna  Lithgow, 
one  of  the  beautiful  and  accomplished  daughters  of  Colonel 


Religious  Services  of  the  Period 


49 


William  Lithgow,  and  resided  upon  a  delightfully  located 
eminence  overlooking  Boothbay  Harbor.  The  parsonage, 
which  was  called  Pisgah,"  was  a  very  handsome  house  sur- 
rounded by  shrubbery  and  pleasant  gardens.  In  1781,  Mr. 
Murray  yielded  to  the  urgent  and  oft-repeated  request  of  the 
church  at  Newburyport  to  become  its  pastor.  There  he 
preached  with  unabated  fervor  and  success  until  his  death  in 
1793- 

A  second  ministerial  candidate  at  Hallowell  during  the 
year  1773  was  the  Rev.  John  Allen  whom  the  town  ''voted  to 
hire."  Of  this  first  resident  minister  of  Hallowell,  Miss  Annie 
F.  Page,  in  her  valuable  and  interesting  monograph  on  "The 
Old  South  Church  at  Hallowell,"  writes  as  follows  :  Mr. 
Allen  seems  to  have  been  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  for  in 
one  of  his  discourses,  he  said  he  'would  be  glad  to  see  morality 
and  good  works  in  their  highest  latitude.'  He  stayed  a  few 
months  —  as  long  as  the  funds  held  out,  indeed  longer,  for  he 
left  the  town  very  much  in  his  debt,  which  indebtedness  was 
not  canceled  until  after  his  death." 

Other  able  candidates  came  and  went.  In  1775,  Rev. 
Thurston  Whiting  preached  a  few  Sabbaths.  He  is  described 
as  **  a  young  man  of  prepossessing  appearance,  agreeable  man- 
ners, cultivated  mind,  and  of  the  orthodox  faith. ^  He  after- 
wards became  the  pastor  of  the  church  at  Warren.  In  1777, 
a  call  was  given  to  the  Rev.  Caleb  Jewett  of  Newburyport,  a 
Dartmouth  graduate,  at  a  salary  of  eighty  pounds  a  year, 
"  corn  to  be  taken  for  part  payment  at  four  shillings  a  bushel." 
This  call  was  declined.  Mr.  Jewett  was  followed  by  the  Rev. 
John  Prince,  a  Harvard  graduate,  who  was  also  /permitted  to 
depart  to  other  fields. 

In  1782,  the  long-talked  of  meeting-house  was  erected  at 
the  Fort  village.  It  was  while  the  building  of  this  edifice  was 
going  on  that  the  famous  rencontre  between  Deacon  Cony  and 
Edward  Savage  took  place.  The  story  as  quoted  by  North, 
from  Judge  Weston's  Reminiscences,  is  as  follows : 

"On  one  occasion  when  the  opposing  parties  became 
warm,  it  was  necessary  to  take  the  sense  of  the  meeting  by 

^  Annals  of  Warren^  p.  175. 


50 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


polling  the  house,  .  .  .  when  Deacon  Cony,  'a  remarkably 
mild  man,'  led  the  movement  in  favor  of  the  measure  by  calling 
out  as  he  went  to  one  side  of  the  room,  *A11  who  are  on  the 
Lord's  side  follow  me,'  while  Edward  Savage,  a  sturdy,  strong 
man  of  rough  manners,  who  was  in  the  opposition  and  not  to  be 
put  down  by  the  Deacon's  appeal,  called  out,  'All  who  are  on 
the  Devil's  side,  follow  me.'  The  Deacon  had  the  best 
company  and  the  most  followers,  and  carried  the  question." 

After  the  erection  of  the  meeting-house,  there  was  another 
long-protracted  period  of  candidacy.  The  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Merrill,  a  Harvard  graduate,  and  the  Rev.  Seth  Noble,  after- 
wards settled  at  Bangor,  preached  on  trial.  General  Sewall 
was  not  pleased  with  either  of  these  candidates.  Then  came 
the  Rev.  William  Hazlitt,  a  notable  English  divine  who 
preached  at  the  new  meeting-house  fourteen  Sabbaths. 

It  seems  very  strange  that  this  eminent  English  clergyman 
should  have  been  passed  over  in  the  records  with  such  scant 
notice.  There  is  nothing  to  indicate  who  he  was  nor  whence 
he  came;  but,  of  course,  the  town  clerk  could  not  at  this  time 
have  known  that  Mr.  Hazlitt  was  the  father  of  a  son  destined 
to  become  a  famous  English  critic  and  essayist,  or  that  he  was 
himself  a  man  of  exceptional  gifts  and  graces. 

Mr.  Hazlitt  came  to  Hallowell  with  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  Mr.  Samuel  Vaughan  of  Boston ;  and  was  engaged  to 
preach  for  two  months.  General  Sewall,  who  was  present  at 
his  first  service,  declared  him  an  Arminian,  and  believed  him 
an  Arian.  "  From  such  doctrines,"  writes  Sewall  in  his  diary, 
"  I  turned  away  and  met  with  a  few  brethren  at  Pettingill's 
corner  in  the  afternoon." 

As  Mr.  Hazlitt  was  an  avowed  Unitarian,  it  could  hardly 
be  expected  that  his  theological  views  would  be  supported  by 
Mr.  Sewall,  or  by  a  majority  of  the  church  members.  We  are 
therefore  not  surprised  to  learn  that  at  the  close  of  his  three 
months  candidacy  he  returned  to  Massachusetts,  and  was 
known  no  more  in  Hallowell. 

An  interesting  account  of  Mr.  Hazlitt 's  experiences  in 
Hallowell  is  given  by  his  daughter  Margaret  who  in  her  diary 
wrote  as  follows  : 


Religious  Services  of  the  Period 


51 


"In  the  autumn  of  this  year  (1785)  Mr.  Sam.  Vaughan 
persuaded  him  to  go  to  a  new  settlement  on  the  Kennebec, 
called  Hallowell,  in  the  province  of  Maine,  where  Mr.  Vaughan 
had  a  large  tract  of  land  and  much  interest  in  settling  the 
township.  This  was  in  the  midst  of  woods,  with  a  few  acres 
cleared  round  each  farm,  as  usual  in  all  their  new  places,  which 
by  degrees  are  changed  from  solitary  woods  to  a  fruitful  land. 
At  this  time  the  wolves  were  near  neighbors,  and  sometimes  at 
night  would  come  prowling  about  the  place,  making  a  dismal 
noise  with  their  hideous  barking ;  and  as  the  doors  were  with- 
out locks,  and  my  father  slept  on  the  ground  floor,  he  used  to 
fasten  his  door  by  putting  his  knife  over  the  latch  to  prevent  a 
visit  from  these  wild  beasts. 

"  In  this  remote  place  he  found  a  very  respectable  society, 
many  of  them  genteel  people.  Here  he  preached  a  Thanks- 
giving sermon,  which  was  afterwards  printed  in  Boston.  It 
was  the  custom  in  New  England  to  preach  one  every  year 
after  harvest.  He  would  have  had  no  great  objection  to  settl- 
ing with  these  people,  but  it  would  not  have  been  eligible  for 
his  sons.  John's  profession  [miniature  painting]  was  not 
wanted  in  the  woods,  where  good  hunters  and  husbandmen 
were  more  needed.  He  therefore,  after  spending  the  winter 
there,  returned  to  us  in  the  spring."  ^ 

Mr.  Hazlitt  during  his  sojourn  in  this  country,  preached  in 
Maine,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Maryland.  His  influence  in  this  country  was  not  without 
some  effect.  In  1789,  Rev.  James  Freeman  wrote:  "Before 
Mr.  Hazlitt  came  to  Boston,  the  Trinitarian  ^oxology  was 
almost  universally  used.  That  honest  good  man  prevailed  upon 
several  respectable  ministers  to  omit  it.  Since  his  departure, 
the  number  of  those  who  repeat  only  scriptural  doxologies  has 
greatly  increased,  so  that  there  are  many  churches  in  which 
the  worship  is  strictly  Unitarian."  ^ 

Mr.  Hazlitt  returned  to  England  with  his  family  and  died 
there  in  1820.  His  son  William  became  the  famous  English 
critic  and  essayist.     If  this  boy  had  been  brought  up  at 

•  The  Hazlitts  in  America  a  Century  Since,  Antiquary,  lo ;  139. 
2  jsfQte  in  Belsham's  Unitarianism . 


52  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Hallowell,  on  the  shores  of  the  Kennebec,  instead  of  in  Old 
England,  he  would  not  have  been  entirely  deprived  of  a  literary 
atmosphere,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  his  talents  would  have 
developed  in  the  same  line  as  in  his  English  home,  and  in 
association  with  Lamb,  Shelley,  Coleridge,  and  other  congenial 
and  gifted  contemporaries.  But  although  Mr.  Hazlitt,  accord- 
ing to  his  daughter's  journal,  "  had  no  great  objections  to 
settling  with  these  people,"  at  Hallowell,  the  town  voted  to  pay 
him  seventy  dollars  for  fourteen  days'  preaching,  including 
Thanksgiving,  and  permitted  him  to  depart  without  a  call." 

In  1786,  another  very  remarkable  man,  the  Rev.  Isaac 
Forster,  a  Yale  graduate,  preached  on  probation  and  was 
invited  to  settle  by  a  vote  of  "  fifty-seven  for  and  four  against." 
General  Sewall,  as  might  have  been  expected,  was  one  of  the 
''four  against;"  for,  according  to  his  views,  Mr.  Forster 
preached  "poor  doctrine."  The  strictly  orthodox  soul  of  the 
General  was  so  stirred  by  the  result  of  the  church  vote  that  he 
observed  a  private  fast  at  Brother  Daniel  Pettingill's  and 
then  entered  a  vigorous  protest  against  the  ordination  of 
Mr.  Forster.  The  protest  was  in  vain  and  Mr.  Forster  was 
ordained.  He  remained  for  two  years  during  which  there  was  a 
constant  conflict  between  the  discordant  parties  in  the  church. 

We  cannot  wonder  at  this  dissension  when  we  consider  the 
"rank  discourses"  preached  by  Mr.  Forster.  From  General 
Sewall's  protest  we  learn  that  Mr.  Forster  denied  that  Adam 
was  created  holy ;  he  denied  the  total  depravity  of  human 
nature  in  its  unregenerate  state,  holding  it  only  in  extent  and 
not  in  degree ;  he  did  not  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  absolute, 
unconditional  election  ;  .  .  .  and  finally  Mr.  Forster  held  that 
the  heathen  who  are  destitute  of  the  gospel  really  do  their  duty 
in  their  worship,  even  though  they  should  hold  to  a  plurality 
of  deities. 

Mr.  Forster  was  evidently  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  higher 
criticism  in  advance  of  his  times ;  but  notwithstanding  this 
disqualification,  he  was  duly  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church 
in  1786. 


*  'NoTth^s  Htsiory  o/Aug-usta,  p.  208. 


Religious  Services  of  the  Period 


53 


A  very  suggestive  reference  to  this  ordination  was  made  by 
Judge  Weston  in  an  address  delivered  July  4th,  1854. 

"Among  the  resident  citizens,"  said  Judge  Weston, 
"there  was  a  strong  desire  to  enjoy  the  advantages  of  moral 
and  religious  instruction  from  the  pulpit.  This  was  given  from 
time  to  time  by  occasional  preachers,  until  the  ordination  of 
Rev.  Isaac  Forster,  in  1786.  I  remember  that  event.  I  saw 
the  assembled  multitude  in  the  meeting-house  and  on  the 
contiguous  grounds.  It  was  the  spectacle  which  interested  me. 
I  have  no  recollection  of  the  services.  There  followed  the 
feasting  and  hilarity  at  that  time  usual  on  such  occasions. 
Pollard's  house  resounded  with  music  and  dancing,  kept  up  by 
relays  of  participants,  quite  beyond  the  endurance  of  a  single 
set." 

This  vivid  picture  of  the  hilarity  attending  the  ordination 
of  a  minister  in  these  old  days  is  not  peculiar  to  the  locality  of 
old  Hallowell,  but  is  characteristic  of  the  times.  I  find  another 
illustration  of  the  manner  of  celebrating  this  solemn  function  in 
the  journal  of  good  old  Parson  Smith  of  P'almouth,  who,  after 
attending  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Foxcroft  at  New  Gloucester, 
made  this  brief  but  significant  entry  in  his  diary  :  "A  jolly 
ordination  ;  we  lost  sight  of  decorum." 

The  story  of  Mr.  Forster's  pastorate  discloses  a  constant 
conflict  between  the  discordant  parties  of  his  church.  At  the 
end  of  two  years  Mr.  Forster  was  forced  to  resign  and  the 
church  was  again  left  without  a  pastor.  Other  great  and  good 
men  like  Rev.  Eliphalet  Smith  and  Rev.  Ezekiel  Emerson 
occupied  the  pulpit  from  time  to  time,  as  candidates  or  supplies, 
and  the  statement  has  also  been  made,  and  frequently  repeated, 
that  the  Rev.  Adoniram  Judson,  the  famous  rdissionary  to 
Burmah,  preached  at  Hallowell  in  1791.  But  Adoniram  Judson, 
the  missionary,  was  not  born  until  1788;  and  although  he  was 
a  precocious  youth  and  early  devoted  to  the  ministry,  it  hardly 
seems  probable  that  he  was  candidating  for  the  pulpit  at  the 
immature  age  of  three  years.  It  was  doubtless  the  Rev. 
Adoniram  Judson,  Senior,  the  father  of  the  missionary,  who 
was  officiating  as  candidate  in  Hallowell  in  1791. 

It  must  thus  be  admitted  that  the  church  of  Hallowell,  in 


54 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


its  embryonic  days,  had  a  very  remarkable  succession  of  able 
and  distinguished  candidates  for  its  pulpit.  Nevertheless,  the 
community  suffered  from  the  disadvantages  of  this  intermittent 
course  of  preaching,  and  from  the  lack  of  regularity  and 
unanimity  in  its  public  worship.  It  was  therefore  a  matter  of 
rejoicing  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stone  was  ordained  over  the 
church  of  the  Middle  Parish  in  1794,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gillet, 
over  the  church  of  the  South  Parish  in  1795. 

Such  was  the  life  of  the  people  of  Hook  and  Fort  in  Old 
Hallowell.  It  was  a  life  made  up,  like  that  of  which  Emerson 
tells  us,  "  out  of  love  and  hatred  ;  out  of  sickness  and  pain  ;  out 
of  earnings,  and  borrowings,  and  lendings,  and  losses ;  out  of 
wooing  and  worshipping ;  out  of  traveling,  and  voting,  and 
watching,  and  caring."  It  was  a  gradual  development  from  the 
primitive  conditions  of  the  wilderness  to  the  comforts,  the 
refinements,  and  higher  ideals  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Through  this  experience,  our  forefathers  attained  their  concep- 
tion of  the  ''more  serene  and  beautiful  laws  "  of  existence. 


Anciknt  Boundary  Line 


V 


THE  DIVISION  OF  THE  TOWN 

"  The  rift  was  now  fatally  widening."  —  Captain  Charles  E.  Nash. 

HE  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century  was  a  most 
eventful  period  in  the  history  of  Hallowell.  From  a 
small  and  scattered  settlement  of  fifty  families  in 
the  year  1775,  the  town  had  grown,  in  1790,  into  two 
prosperous  villages  with  a  combined  population  of  over  eleven 
hundred  inhabitants.  During  the  next  ten  years,  this  double 
community  made  remarkable  progress.  Business  flourished, 
important  institutions  were  founded,  great  public  enterprises 
were  undertaken,  and  then,  as  a  supreme  climax  to  the 
inevitable  rivalry  of  interests  between  the  Fort  and  Hook, 
Hallowell  was  divided  into  two  towns,  in  1797.  The  years  of 
this  decade  may  very  fittingly  be  called  the  eventful  nineties. 

The  first  notable  event  of  public  interest  during  the 
memorable  period  between  1790  and  1800  was  —  after  the 
development  of  the  business  interests  of  the  town — the  building 
of  the  court-house  at  the  upper  village  in  1790.  The  next  was 
the  incorporation  of  the  Hallowell  Academy  at  the  lower  village 
in  1 79 1.  The  establishment  of  this  time-honored  institution 
gave  to  the  Hook  great  educational  advantages,  and  was  a 
potent  factor  not  only  in  the  intellectual  but  in  the  material 
advancement  of  the  town. 

In  1794,  the  sessions  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  of 
Massachusetts  were  established  at 'Hallowell.  As  the  court- 
house had  been  located  at  the  Fort,  the  sittings  of  the  Supreme 
Court  were  held  in  this  part  of  the  town ;  but  the  honor  and 
glory  of  these  occasions  were  so  great  that  the  Hook  also 
shared  in  their  radiated  splendor.  The  first  session  convened 
July  8,  1794.  This  was  a  very  grand  and  spectacular  event. 
The  judges  present  were  Paine,  Sumner  and  Dawes.  They 
were  accompanied  by  the  most  famous  lawyers  of  the  day, 


56  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

■I 

among  whom  were  Attorney  General  Sullivan,  Theophilus 
Parsons,  and  Nathan  Dane.  The  three  sheriffs,  each  with  his 
cocked  hat,  his  glittering  sword,  and  his  long,  white  staff  of 
office,  were  most  imposing  figures  as  they  marshalled  the 
grand  procession  of  judges  and  jurists  to  the  beating  of  the 
drum,  and  led  them  to  the  meeting-house, —  since  the  court 
room  proved  too  small  to  hold  the  vast  assembly. 

The  session  of  the  Supreme  Court  was  the  occasion  not 
only  for  the  adjustment  of  all  local  claims  but  for  choosing  the 
representatives  to  the  General  Court  and  electors  to  the 
Federal  Congress.  It  brought  together  prominent  men  well 
informed  in  state  and  national  affairs,  and  also  the  gentry  of 
the  whole  surrounding  country,  who,  as  Judge  Weston  tells  us, 
"came  to  see  and  be  seen  and  to  enjoy  the  novelty  and  excite- 
ment of  the  occasion."  The  sittings  of  the  Supreme  Court 
were  therefore  always  attended  by  many  social  functions.  The 
convivial  feasting  that  began  at  all  the  small  inns  and  the  taverns 
of  the  town  was  repeated  on  a  larger  and  more  elegant  scale 
in  the  homes  of  the  prominent  people.  As  the  valley  of  the 
Kennebec,  even  at  this  early  day,  was  famous  for  its  able 
lawyers,  the  visiting  barristers  and  judges  were  entertained  in 
the  homes  of  many  brilliant  men  of  their  own  profession. 
The  coming  of  the  members  of  the  court  therefore  gave  an 
added  distinction  to  society  in  Hallowell,  and  both  Fort  and 
Hook  shared  in  the  prestige  of  the  occasion. 

The  year  1794  was  also  memorable  for  the  establishment 
of  a  weekly  mail  from  Portland,  via  Monmouth  and  Winthrop, 
to  Hallowell ;  for  the  division  of  the  town  into  three  parishes  ; 
and  for  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Mr.  Stone  over  the  church  of 
the  Middle  Parish. 

Another  event  of  signal  importance  in  1794  was  the  found- 
ing of  the  first  newspaper  of  Hallowell.  This  was  the 
Easte7it  Star  which  for  one  short  year  shed  its  illuminating 
beams  upon  the  shores  of  the  Kennebec. 

In  1775,  the  Eastern  Star  was  succeeded  by  a  new  paper 
with  the  somewhat  alarming  name  of  the  Tocsin.  Both  of  these 
papers  were  published  at  the  Hook.  A  little  later,  in  the  year 
1775,  the  Intelligencer  was  issued  at  the  Fort.    These  papers 


The  Division  of  the  Town 


57 


were  of  great  importance  in  bringing  the  people  of  the  Kenne- 
bec in  touch  with  the  outside  world,  in  elevating  public  senti- 
ment, and  especially  in  moulding  the  political  opinions  of 
their  readers  at  a  critical  time  of  our  state  and  national  history. 

In  1796,  the  famous  Old  South  meeting-house  was  erected 
at  the  Hook,  and  the  Rev.  Eliphalet  Gillet  was  duly  installed 
as  pastor.  In  this  year  also  occurred  the  most  exciting 
event  that  had  thus  far  taken  place  in  the  history  of  the  town. 
This  was  the  granting  of  a  charter  for  the  building  of  the 
Kennebec  Bridge  at  Fort  Western. 

Finally,  as  a  supreme  climax  to  the  story  of  the  Hook  and 
Fort,  came  the  division  of  Hallowell  into  two  towns,  in  the  year 
1797.  This  year  is  therefore  a  most  memorable  one  in  the 
history  of  both  places. 

The  causes  that  led  to  the  division  of  the  town  of  Hal- 
lov/ell  are  neither  obscure  nor  difficult  to  understand,  but  are 
such  as  the  impartial  historian  might  readily  anticipate.  For 
the  first  few  years  after  the  incorporation  of  the  town,  both 
Fort  and  Hook  were  absorbed  in  the  struggles  and  difficulties 
of  all  pioneer  settlers,  and  the  common  needs  of  the  people 
resulted  in  common  measures  for  the  good  of  the  whole  com- 
munity. In  course  of  time,  however,  each  of  the  two  villages 
began  to  assume  local  importance  ;  and  the  inhabitants  of  each 
neighborhood  naturally  desired  to  build  up  the  center  nearest 
their  own  homes.  At  the  Fort,  the  lumber  business  was  a 
source  of  marked  prosperity  ;  but  the  Hook,  on  account  of  its 
very  superior  facilities  for  navigation,  built  up  its  agricultural, 
mercantile,  and  shipping  interests,  and  soon  surpassed  its 
sister  village  in  size  and  commercial  prosperit^y.  A  strong 
spirit  of  rivalry  thus  grew  up  between  the  two  sections  of  the 
town. 

The  church  privileges  were  also,  from  the  first,  coveted  by 
both  villages,  but  the  early  religious  services  were  always  held 
at  the  Fort.  The  first  meeting-house  was  built  at  the  Fort 
village,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  Hook  found  it  inconvenient 
to  attend  divine  worship  every  Sunday.  This  was  one  of  the 
earliest  causes  of  dissatisfaction  and  dissension. 


58  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec  { 

But  the  sharpest  conflict  between  the  two  villages  was  in 
the  administration  of  town  affairs.  Local  politics  ran  high  at 
both  Fort  and  Hook.  As  long  as  the  Fort  held  the  leadership 
and  was  accorded  the  control  of  affairs,  all  went  well ;  but 
when  the  Hook  began  to  increase  in  size  and  prosperity  and  to 
have  able  men  to  represent  its  interests,  it  demanded  its  share 
in  the  public  emoluments.  A  strong  sectional  feeling  became 
apparent  in  all  public  transactions.  This  feeling  grew  with  the 
growth  of  the  town,  and  soon  began  to  manifest  itself  in  out- 
spoken rivalry. 

This  spirit  of  rivalry  was  especially  manifest  at  the  town 
meetings  where  there  were  numerous  minor  questions  at  issue. 
Some  of  these  questions  were :  Who  were  qualified  to  be 
voters,  how  many  selectmen  should  be  appointed,  and  where 
the  town  meetings  should  be  held.  North  states  that,  at  the 
annual  meeting  in  1793,  ''a  violent  attempt  was  made  by  the 
people  at  the  Hook  to  remove  the  office  of  town  clerk  to  that 
neighborhood,  in  which  they  were  defeated  by  the  election  of 
Henry  Sewall  to  that  office  by  a  majority  of  18  votes."  The 
town  records  add  that  a  protest  was  entered  against  the  moder- 
ator of  this  meeting  by  which  it  was  claimed  that  twenty-four 
persons  eligible  to  vote  were  prevented  from  doing  so  by  the 
action  of  the  moderator. 

The  last  coup  d'etat  in  this  struggle  was  made  in  1795, 
when  "  the  Hook  surprised  the  town  meeting,  assembled  at  the 
meeting-house,  into  an  adjournment  to  meet,  for  the  first  and 
only  time,  at  the  Academy  at  the  Hook.  The  Fort  rallied  its 
strength  and  adjourned  back."  The  constable,  at  this  time, 
was  Jeremy  Black,  a  popular  young  Scotchman,  who  was  quite 
equal  to  the  occasion.  He  was  tall  and  straight,  with  an 
imposing  figure.  Dressed  in  his  official  costume,  with  shining 
buckles  at  the  knees  and  upon  his  shoes,  and  with  powdered 
hair  tied  in  a  cue,  he  majestically  waved  his  wand  of  office, 
headed  the  victorious  voters  and  marched  them  back  to  the 
village  at  the  Fort. 

The  foregoing  statements  represent  the  more  serious 
aspect  of  the  situation  just  before  the  division  of  the  town.  A 
few  quotations  from  the  columns  of  the  Intelligencer,  published 


The  Division  of  the  Town 


59 


at  the  Fort,  and  the  Tocsin  published  at  the  Hook,  will  in  their 

spirited  but  good-natured  thrusts  quite  as  plainly  disclose  the 
j  trend  of  public  sentiment. 

In  April  of  this  year,  1796,  there  were  lying  at  anchor  at 

Fort  Western,  the  surprisingly  large  number  of  fifteen  sloops 
'  and  schooners,  among  which  were  the  Phebe  and  the  Twa 

Brothers  belonging  to  the  Howards.  The  Intelligencer  proudly 
!  published  a  list  of  the  vessels  with  their  tonnage  and  the  names 
1  of  their  commanders.  In  response  to  this,  the  Tocsin  made  a 
i  few  pithy  remarks  in  its  next  issue.  I  copy  from  the  ancient 
!  files  of  this  paper  now  preserved  in  the  Hubbard  Free  Library, 

the  following  "editorial  "  which  appeared  under  date  of  May  3, 
!  1796: 
i 

We  see  in  the  Intelligencer,  a  paper  printed  at  a  village, 
two  miles  and  a  half  above  this  place,  a  pompous  account  of  the 
arrival  of  shipping  at  Fort  Western."  [This,  as  the  Tocsin 
states  in  a  foot-note,  is  a  village  which  derives  its  name  from  a 
block  house  that  is  still  standing  and  makes  a  respectable  part 
of  the  settlement.]  "  Had  it  been  a  thing  uncommon  or 
worthy  of  public  notice  we  might  have  given  our  readers  earher 
information  that  these  vessels  named  and  many  others  all 
safely  arrived  at  this  port  from  sea ;  and  this  week  we  might 
have  added,  that  being  favored  with  a  freshet  which  brought 
the  waters  6  feet  above  high-water  mark,  part  of  the  fleet 
seized  the  opportunity  of  a  strong  southerly  wind  and  run  their 
hazard  to  Fort  Western. 

"  Considering  that  many  gentlemen  abroad  may  have  their 
interest  concerned  in  such  desperate  navigation,  we  think  it  our 
duty  to  inform  them  that  the  larger  vessels  have  prudently 
fallen  down  without  their  lading  to  this  port,  and  although  they 
got  aground,  we  are  happy  to  add  no  material  damage  occurred 
— -  doubtless  the  rest  will  take  into  consideration  the  propriety 
of  hastening  their  departure  to  the  Hook. 

N.  B.  Those  who  have  concern  for  the  ships  of  17  tons 
there  mentioned  may  feel  easy,  for  if  the  freshet  should  fall  the 
navigation  will  be  as  usual  —  the  men  may  get  out  &  push  such 
vessels  over  the  shoals." 


6o 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


The  editor  of  the  Intelligencer,  hearing  a  few  discordant 
notes  from  the  Alarm  Bell,  aUas  the  Tocsin^'  makes  a  witty 
reply.  He  admits  that  "  the  ship  Betsey  of  three  hundred  and 
seventeen  tons  and  drawing  about  nine  feet  of  water  which  was 
launched  at  this  place  a  few  days  since,  unfortunately  struck  on 
the  shoalest  ground  between  Fort  Western  and  the  entrance  of 
the  Kennebec,"  but  is  happy  to  add,  that  through  the  friend- 
ly exertions  of  the  editors  of  the  Tocsin,  she  was  fortunately 
pushed  over  the  shoals  2indi  received  no  material  injury."  The 
Intelligencer  adds :  We  hope  they  will  render  the  same 
friendly  assistance  should  the  Montezuma  of  three  hundred 
tons  which  will  be  launched  on  Wednesday  next  by  Messrs. 
Howard,  meet  the  like  accident.  We  however  congratulate  the 
public  on  the  fair  prospect  of  this  bar  —  which  is  an  obstruction 
to  the  navigation  of  large  vessels  to  Fort  Western, —  the  head 
of  navigation,  being  shortly  removed,  as  we  understand  a  sub- 
scription for  that  purpose  is  on  foot  and  will  be  doubtless 
accomplished  next  summer ;  as  also  the  Kennebec  bridge  will 
in  all  probability  be  erected  at  that  time." 

Here  are  two  very  pointed  thrusts  at  the  Hook :  the  appar- 
ently casual  mention  of  Fort  Western  as  the  head  of  navigation, 
and  the  triumphant  announcement  of  the  coveted  Kennebec 
bridge.  The  Intelligencer  then  adds :  "  These  important 
objects  when  accomplished  must  at  once  decide  on  the  decline 
of  the  increasing  importance  of  the  Hook  village  below."  ' 

The  question  of  building  the  bridge  and  of  the  place  of  its 
location  now  proved  to  be  the  supreme  issue  between  the  Fort 
and  the  Hook.  The  necessity  of  a  bridge  across  the  Kennebec, 
for  purposes  of  travel  and  trade,  was  most  obvious  to  all  con- 
cerned ;  but  the  people  of  the  two  villages  could  not  agree  as  to 
its  location.  North  tells  us  that  the  Fort  claimed  the  location 
on  the  ground  that  the  bridge  would  be  at  the  head  of  the  tide 
and  not  obstruct  navigation.  The  people  of  the  Hook  declared 
they  were  at  the  head  of  navigation  and  their  village  was  the 
only  suitable  place  for  the  erection  of  the  bridge. 

Each  village  had  its  able  and  loyal  advocates.  A  petition 
signed  by  Samuel  Howard  and  others  for  an  act  authorizing 

I  North's  Hisiory  of  A?-i£:us(a,  p.  276, 


i 


The  Division  of  the  Town 


6i 


them  to  build  a  bridge  at  Fort  Western,  was  presented  to  the 
legislature.  Daniel  Cony,  Senator,  and  James  Bridge,  Repre- 
sentative, used  all  their  influence  in  behalf  of  the  Fort.  The 
Hook  was  represented  by  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan,  a  most  able 
advocate  who  had  strong  personal  and  political  influence  both 
at  home  and  in  Massachusetts. 

The  petition  was  referred  by  the  Legislature  to  a  commit- 
tee of  which  Captain  Choate  was  chairman.  It  appears  from 
the  records  that  Captain  Choate  had  once  visited  the  Kenne- 
bec while  in  the  coasting  trade ;  and  that  he  expressed  to  Dr. 
Cony  the  opinion  that  Fort  Western  was  the  only  suitable 
place  for  the  bridge.  We  cannot  now  tell  how  far  the  members 
of  the  committee  were  influenced  by  the  opinion  of  the  chair- 
man, but  they  decided  in  favor  of  Fort  Western ;  and  an  act 
incorporating  a  company,  with  authority  to  build  the  bridge 
at  this  place,  was  passed  on  February  8th,  1796. 

This  was  a  great  and  bitter  disappointment  to  the  people 
of  the  Hook  who  had  long,  in  their  imagination,  seen  the 
Kennebec  spanned  by  a  noble  bridge  connecting  their  village 
with  the  opposite  shores.  It  was  vehemently  protested  that 
this  was  the  best  place  for  the  bridge,  both  on  account  of  the 
natural  advantages  of  the  location  and  the  requirements  of  the 
public  ;  but  this  protest  was  without  avail. 

This  heated  contest  resulted  in  the  culmination  of  sectional 
feeling  between  the  two  villages,  and  was  soon  followed  by  the 
division  of  Hallowell  into  two  separate  towns.  By  an  act  of 
the  Legislature  on  February  20th,  1797,  the  town  of  Hallowell 
was  divided  and  nearly  two-thirds  of  its  territory  and  about 
one-half  of  its  taxable  property  were  set  off  for /a  new  town. 
The  dividing  line  passed  just  south  of  Howard's  Hill  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river  and  north  of  the  Davenport  grant  on  the 
east  side.  The  new  town,  at  the  suggestion  of  Hon.  Amos 
Stoddard,  was  named  Harrington,  in  honor  of  Lord  Harrington, 
an  eminent  English  statesman.  This  name  was  soon  corrupted 
into  "  Herringtown,"  and  became  a  term  of  derision.  A 
petition  was  therefore  made  to  the  Legislature  stating  that,  for 
many  reasons  which  operate  on  the  minds  of  your  petitioners, 
they  are  desirous  that  the  name  of  Harrington  may  be  changed 


62 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


to  the  name  of  ''Augusta."  This  appeal  was  granted  and  on 
June  9th,  1797,  Harrington  became  Augusta.  The  Hook  had 
the  good  fortune  of  retaining  its  old  and  honored  name  of 
Hallowell. 

The  following  list  of  officers  elected  April  2,  1798  gives 
the  names  of  some  of  the  prominent  residents  at  this  important 
date. 


Benjamin  Pore, 


Daniei.  Evans, 
James  IvAThrop, 


John  Odi,in  Page, 


Nathaniei.  Dummer, 
Robert  Randai,!,, 
Peter  Grant, 


Town  Clerk. 

Constables. 

Treasurer. 


Selectmen  and  Assessors. 


Martin  Brewster, 
James  Hinki^ey  Jr., 
Bbenezer  Church, 
W11.1.1AM  Dorr, 
Samuei/  Stevens, 
James  Atkins, 


Surveyors  of  Highways. 


Abraham  Davenport, 
Jeremiah  Dummer, 
Joseph  Smith, 


Tythingmen. 


Joseph  Brown, 
Ephraim  L/ORD, 
SamueI/  Hussey, 

NATHANIEI.  COI.CORD, 

Tristam  Lock, 

NATHANIEIy  TMON, 

James  Cocks, 
Ephraim  Gii^man, 
James  Hinkley, 
Peter  Grant, 
James  Springer, 
James  Partridge, 
Joseph  Dummer, 
Daniee  Evans, 
James  Lathrop, 
Robert  Randai,!., 
Thomas  Eustice, 

SETH  IvITTEEEIEED, 

Benjamin  Stickney, 


Surveyors  of  L  umber. 


The  Division 


MOSKS  Pai,mer, 
Shubaei.  West, 
JamEvS  HinkIvEy, 
Wii^LiAM  Pai;mer  Jr., 
Moses  Carr, 


Benja.  Stickney, 
Benja.  Pore, 
Wii^i^iAM  Dorr, 

SAMUEIy  BUIvI^EN, 


Samuei.  Bui^IvEn,  1 

Isaac  Pii^sbury,  | 

Thomas  Davis,  [ 

Thomas  Hinki^ey,  J 

Abraham  Davenport,  ^ 
Samuei/  Hussey, 
Andrew  Goodwin, 
Nathan  Sweatland, 
Nathaniei.  Coi^cord, 
Thomas  Hinki^ey, 
Moses  Pai^mer, 
Wii,i<iAM  Dorr,  J 

David  Day, 
DanieI/  Heard, 
Thomas  Stickney, 
Nathaniei<  Coi^cord, 


of  the  Town  63 

Cullers  of  Hoops  and  Staves 
also  Packers  of  Beef  and 
Fish. 


Fence  Viewers. 


Field  Drivers. 


Fish  Com. 


Sealers  of  Leather. 


School  Com.  No.  i. 


School  Com.  No.  2. 

I 

Schvol  Com.  No.  j. 


School  Com.  No.  4. 


Stephen  Osgood, 
Benjamin  Ai,i,en, 
Nathaniei.  Tii^ton, 

Jeremiah  Dummer, 
Martin  Brewster, 
Thomas  Bustice, 
Joseph  Smith, 
John  Sheppard, 

Samuei.  Brewster, 
Woodward  Ai.i,en, 
Thomas  Davis, 

Wii^LiAM  Springer, 
Nathaniei.  Roi,i.ins, 
Peter  Grant, 


The  names  of  some  of  the  most  enterprising  merchants  of 
Hallowell  may  be  learned  from  the  advertisements  in  the 
columns  of  the  "  Tocsin!' 


64 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


On  June  17th,  1796,  Chandler  Robbins  announces  a  new 
variety  store  and  "flatters  himself  that  as  he  has  imported  his 
Goods  immediately  from  the  manufacturers,  he  shall  be  able  to 
supply  his  friends  and  customers,  either  by  wholesale  or  retail, 
at  a  rate  that  cannot  fail  to  give  satisfaction." 

Benjamin  Page  announces  that  he  "  has  lately  received  a 
very  handsome  assortment  of  Drugs  and  Medicines  among 
which  is  a  great  variety  of  patent  articles,  .  .  .  Also  Nut- 
megs, Mace,  Cloves,  Cinnamon,  Allum,  Coperas,  Logwood,  Oil, 
Vitriol,  Aquafortis,  &, 

John  Odlin  Page  advertises  "  A  general  assortment  of 
English  Goods  suitable  for  the  season:  also  best  French 
Brandy,  W.  I.  and  N.  E.  Rum,  Tea,  Coffee,  Cotton,  Molasses, 
Loaf  and  Brown  Sugar,  Chocolate,  Nutmegs,  Starch,  best  Keg 
and  Pigtail  Tobacco,  Russian  and  Swedes  Iron,  German  Steel, 
a  large  assortment  of  Iron  Ware,  Tin  ditto,  few  barrels  very 
excellent  cider.  Rock  Salt,  Crockery  Ware,  &,  which  will  be 
sold  as  low  as  at  any  store  in  town." 

It  is  evident  that  •  Mr.  John  Odlin  Page  had  com- 
petitors in  his  line  of  business,  for  White  &  Lowell  immediately 
announce  that  they  have  just  received  "A  fresh  and  general 
assortment  of  English  and  West  India  goods,  including  all 
sorts  of  wearing  apparel,  household  goods,  ornaments,  inclu- 
ding common  and  paste  pins,  West  India  Rum,  Syder,  Tea, 
Coffee  and  Molasses." 

This  spirit  of  competition  is  also  apparent  in  the  advertise- 
ments of  the  large  dry  goods  and  variety  stores.  John 
Sheppard,  one  of  the  earliest  and  most  enterprising  merchants 
at  the  Hook  in  Hallowell,  issues  an  advertisement  enumera- 
ting in  two  long  columns  the  articles  in  his  newest  and  most 
"fashionable  assortment  of  Callicoes,  Chintzes,  Stuffs,  Kersey- 
meres, Table  linen.  Broad  Cloths,  Handkerchiefs,  Muslins, 
Waistcoatings,  Gloves,  Stockings,  hats.  Hard  ware.  Glass  ware, 
Crockery  ware,  &.  8z.  &.  Also  —  A  general  assortment  of 
West  India  Goods." 

In  the  very  next  issue  of  the  Tocsin^  Chandler  Robbins  and 
Nathaniel  Cogswell  are  each  out  with  an  advertisement  longer 
and  more  varied  in  its  list  than  that  of  Mr.  Sheppard ;  and  a 


Tke  Division  of  the  Town 


65 


1  little  later  Joshua  Wingate  &  Son  dazzle  the  eye  of  the  public 
},i  with  their  rich  and  rare  assortment  of  all  things  desirable  for 
3  the  residents  of  old  Hallowell.  We  are  obliged  ourselves  to 
j  confess  to  a  feeling  of  surprise  at  the  great  variety  of  dress 
,  goods,  household  furnishings,  and  toilette  articles  introduced 

by  these  enterprising  merchants  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 

century. 

Other  minor  advertisements  indicate  the  business  and 
vocation  of  some  of  the  early  residents  whose  names  are  still 

,  familiar  to  our  people.    Robert  Randall  has  for  sale  a  quantity 

i  of  excellent  Liverpool  salt.  John  Beeman  announces  "stone 
lime,"  Thomas  Lakeman  advertises  for  "two  active  lads  as 
Apprentices  to  the  bricklaying  business,"  Nathaniel  Kent 
offers  "  Cash  and  the  highest  price  for  shipping  Furs,'' 
Nathaniel  Cogswell  makes  a  specialty  of  books  and  stationery, 
the   Sewall  Brothers  have  a  seasonable  announcement  of 

I  summer  goods,  and  "Miss  Margaret  Roberson,  Mantua  Maker, 
lately  from  Newburyport,  informs  the  ladies  that  she  would  be 
happy  to  serve  them  in  the  line  of  her  profession." 

A  great  change  had  surely  taken  place  in  our  mother  town 
from  the  time  of  its  incorporation  in  connection  with  the  Fort, 
to  the  memorable  year  when  it  stood  alone  and  bravely  grappled 
with  the  problems  of  its  own  municipal,  commercial,  and  social 
[  I  future.  From  a  small  hamlet,  half  dependent  upon  its  neigh- 
bor, it  had,  at  the  end  of  a  quarter  of  a  century,  emerged  as  a 
prosperous  and  independent  town.  Men  of  brains  and  capital 
controlled  its  large  business  enterprises.  It  had  its  own 
church  with  its  revered  pastor ;  its  Academy,  with  a  scholarly 
and  successful  Preceptor ;  its  able  and  eloquent  /lawyers  ;  its 
"beloved  physician;"  its  broad-minded  statesmen;  its  enter-' 

!  prising  ship-builders,    merchants,    mechanics,   and  farmers, 
li.  !  Comfortable  homes  with  pleasant  gardens   stood  upon  its 
crescent-shaped  shore  and  dotted  the  hillside  that  rose  like  a 
green  amphitheater  above.    At  the  north,  the  green  banks  of 
Hinkley's  point,  and  at  the  south  the  curving  shores  of  Bomba- 
j.  I  hook,  like  sheltering  arms,  defined  the  natural  limits  of  the 
jjjj;  I  town.    An  atmosphere  of  prosperity  and  enthusiasm  prevailed  ; 

j  and  we  cannot  now  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  courage  and 


I 


66 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


all-prevailing  faith  of  the  people  when  this  old  town  began  its 
new  and  independent  life. 

The  efforts  of  the  loyal  townspeople,  new  and  old,  were 
abundantly  rewarded.  Old  Hallowell  started  upon  a  career  of 
prosperity  which  in  the  retrospect  seems  almost  phenomenal ; 
but  contemporary  records  and  the  testimony  of  the  oldest 
inhabitant"  unite  to  prove  that  "in  the  early  part  of  this 
century  there  was  no  place  in  Maine  that,  from  a  business 
standpoint,  stood  higher  than  Hallowell;  and  socially  and 
intellectually  it  had  few  if  any  equals."  ^ 

It  is  to  this  memorable  period  in  the  history  of  Hallowell 
that  the  thoughts  of  all  her  sons  and  daughters  revert  with 
faithful  and  affectionate  remembrance,  and  if  its  story  could  be 
fully  told,  in  a  spirit  of  verity  and  with  sympathetic  under- 
standing, it  would  be  one  of  rare  interest  and  intrinsic  value ; 
for  the  evolution  of  a  representative  New  England  town 
through  the  development  of  individual  efforts  and  interests  is  a 
subject  of  importance  to  the  psychologist  and  sociologist  as  well 
as  to  the  maker  of  history.  Moreover,  the  true  historian  is  not 
he  who  merely  compiles  a  record  of  facts  and  dates,  but  is  one 
who  discloses  the  elements  that  enter  into  the  character  of  the 
people  and  shows  the  effects  produced  by  circumstances  and 
environment.  It  is,  therefore,  of  the  life  of  this  ancient  town 
in  the  palmy  days  of  its  existence  that  we  would  now  if  pos- 
sible present  a  picture  which  will  be  recognized  as  faithful  and 
true  by  every  son  and  daughter  of  old  Hallowell. 


I  History  of  Kennebec  County,  Vol.  I,  p.  510. 


f 
[ 
i 

I 

I 

1 

I 

1 

I 

t 

1 

1 

1 


'  Behold,  — a  resting  place  of  hope, — 
The  pines  on  Ferry  Hill!  " 

—  Ellen  Hamlin  Butler. 


VI 


SOURCES  OF  HALLOWELL'S  PROSPERITY 

"  Hallowell,  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  was  one  of  the 
marked  and  promising  towns  of  Maine.  ...  It  was  moreover,  even 
at  this  early  day,  the  seat  of  a  remarkably  select  society,  included  in 
which  were  a  number  of  families  of  rare  personal  qualities  and  the 
highest  cultivation." — Rev.  Edward  Abbott. 

A STRANGER  visiting  Hallowell,  to-day,  cannot  fail 
to  be  impressed  by  the  picturesque  beauty  of  its 
location,  and  by  the  characteristic  old-time  New- 
England  atmosphere  of  the  place.  As  he  passes 
through  its  long,  parallel  streets  or  up  and  down  its  sloping 
hillsides,  he  will  still  see  the  handsome,  spacious  houses  of  the 
early  settlers  of  old  Hallowell,  with  their  ever  hospitable  doors 
still  open  to  the  guest.  As  he  walks  along  the  business  street, 
he  will  still  note  here  and  there  the  ancient  stores  and  ware- 
houses wherein  the  masters  of  Hallowell's  old  mansions  made 
their  fortunes  a  hundred  years  ago.  But  neither  the  stranger 
within  our  gates,  nor,  indeed,  many  of  our  own  people  of  the 
younger  generation,  are  able  now  to  picture  for  themselves  the 
elegant  social  life  that  once  went  on  within  these  stately  homes, 
nor  the  scenes  of  bustle  and  activity  that  filled  its  long 
main  thoroughfare. 

True  it  is,  however,  that  at  the  opening^  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  Old  Hallowell  was  the  busiest  place  in  the 
district  of  Maine  east  of  Portland  and  at  one  time  bade  fair  to 
become  the  great  commercial  metropolis  of  the  state.  Its 
large  warehouses  were  filled  with  the  merchandise  of  its 
wealthy  traders.  Its  wharves  were  lined  with  packets  wait- 
ing to  ship  their  loads  of  barley,  oats,  and  corn  to  Boston  and 
other  ports.  Its  numerous  trading  vessels  plied  constantly 
between  Hallowell  and  the  West  Indies,  carrying  out  the 
exports  of  the  Kennebec,  and  bringing  back  those  commodities 
that  formed  the  staple  of  trade  with  the  town  and  country 


68 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


people.  Ferry-boats  were  constantly  employed  in  conveying 
passengers,  produce,  and  lumber  across  the  Kennebec.  Six- 
teen stage  routes  centered  at  Hallowell,  and  long  lines  of 
vehicles  of  various  kinds  might  daily  be  seen  coming  down 
Winthrop  Hill  or  along  the  other  thoroughfares.  The  main 
street  of  the  town  was  often  so  crowded  with  these  country 
teams  that  it  was  difficult  for  a  carriage  to  find  a  passage  way. 
Many  of  the  country  merchants  drove  directly  to  the  wharves 
where  the  cargoes  of  groceries,  rum,  molasses,  and  other 
luxuries  of  life  were  sold  before  they  were  unladen  ;  for  at  this 
time  Hallowell  was  the  business  center  for  a  region  of  sixty 
miles  around,  and  from  all  the  settlements  east,  west,  north, 
and  south,  came  the  small  traders  and  people  in  general  to 
purchase  their  stocks  of  goods  and  all  their  household  supplies. 

An  interesting  statement  in  regard  to  old  Hallowell  is 
made  by  Edward  A.  Kimball,  an  English  traveler  who  visited 
the  valley  of  the  Kennebec,  a  century  ago  : 

"  In  the  winter  when  the  inhabitants  can  travel  on  the 
snow,  the  lower  streets  are  thronged  with  traffikers  and  their 
sleighs.  (A  local  name  for  sledge  learned  from  the  Dutch 
Colonists.)  Hallowell  is  the  natural  emporium  for  a  vast  tract 
of  country.  I  found  it  asserted  here  that  from  the  configura- 
tion of  the  country,  the  commerce  of  the  upper  Connecticut 
belongs  to  this  place.  Hallowell  even  hopes  to  dispute* with 
Montreal  and  Quebec  in  the  commerce  of  the  new  settlements 
in  lower  Canada  on  the  heads  of  the  Connecticut  and  to  the 
northward  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont.  Portland,  which 
Hallowell  hopes  wholly  to  rival,  enjoys  some  portion  of  the 
Canadian  commerce,  but  this  is  owing  probably  only  to  want  of 
roads  between  the  new  settlement  in  the  province  and  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  But  Hallowell  has  still  better 
prospects  in  the  immediate  contiguity  of  a  fine  grazing 
country.'*'  ' 

An  article  in  the  American  Encyclopedia  issued  in  1807, 
also  states  that  Hallowell  is  the  natural  head  of  Kennebec 
navigation ;  that  it  is  a  better  distributing  point  for  Canada 


»  Civic  Virtue,  Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson. 


Sources  of  HallowelV s  Prosperity 


69 


than  Portland;  and  that  it  is  certain  to  become  one  of  the 
largest  American  cities.  ^ 

This  prosperity  and  spirit  of  enterprise  attracted  men  of 
all  professions  and  trades  to  settle  in  Hallowell,  and  the  popu- 
lation of  the  town  rapidly  increased.  In  1821,  Hallowell  had 
about  two  thousand  inhabitants.  Upon  its  business  street 
were  seventy-one  stores,  including  three  large  bookstores.  It 
had  two  printing  establishments  where  two  weekly  newspapers, 
and  an  astonishingly  large  number  of  books  were  printed.  A 
table  of  statistics,  by  Judge  Weston,  shows  that  Augusta,  at 
this  time,  had  only  one  thousand  inhabitants,  only  twenty 
stores,  and  no  printing  houses.  In  the  light  of  its  present 
prosperity,  however,  Augusta  can  well  afford  to  accord  to  old 
Hallowell  the  glory  of  its  one  half-century  of  commercial  and 
intellectual  supremacy. 

The  chief  and  direct  sources  of  the  business  prosperity  of 
old  Hallowell  were  its  commercial  and  maritime  interests  inclu- 
ding the  great  industry  of  ship-building  that  was  carried  on 
upon  its  shores.  At  this  time,  Hallowell  was  practically  a  sea- 
port town,  and  its  river  shores  were  lined  with  wharves  and 
docks.  The  vessels  built  and  owned  at  H^allowell  sailed  to 
many  domestic  and  foreign  ports  and  returned  with  cargoes 
that  brought  large  profits  to  their  owners.  As  the  merchants 
of  the  town  accumulated  wealth,  they  joined  with  the  ship- 
owners in  building  vessels,  and  much  of  the  capital  of  the  town 
was  invested  in  this  profitable  industry. 

In  these  early  days  there  were  a  dozen  or  more  wharves 
located  at  neighborly  intervals  along  the  shore  where  vessels 
were  constantly  built  and  launched.  As  Sheppard's  wharf  was 
considered  the  head  of  navigation  for  the  larger  vessels,  much 
of  the  ship-building  centered  in  this  vicinity;  and  here  many  of 
the  brigs  and  schooners  cast  anchor  and  discharged  their 
cargoes. 

Among  the  early  "kings  of  industry"  at  Hallowell  were 
the  two  pioneer  ship-builders  Isaac  Pilsbury,  who  settled  at 
Loudon  Hill  in  1792,  and  Captain  Isaac  Smith,  who  had  a 

I  Civic  Virtue,  Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson. 


70 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


large  ship-yard  at  Sheppard's  wharf  in  the  early  nineties. 
Here  the  brig  Belle  Savage^  the  schooner  Indian  Queen^  and 
numerous  packets,  some  of  which  Captain  Smith  commanded, 
were  built  and  launched. 

Another  early  ship-builder  at  the  Hook  was  Ebenezer 
Mayo,  who  came  from  Harwich,  Cape  Cod,  to  Hallowell  in 
1793.  He  also  had  a  ship-yard  in  the  vicinity  of  Sheppard's 
Point,  where  he  employed  quite  a  large  number  of  men,  and 
where  he  was  familiarly  known  as  Master  Mayo."  At  his 
death  in  1815,  anew  vessel  "of  about  one  hundred  tons 
burthen,  with  high  deck,  suitable  for  the  West  India  Trade  or 
coasting  "  was  left  in  an  unfinished  condition  in  the  ship-yard. 

Other  vessels  built  in  Hallowell,  about  this  time,  were  the 
fast-sailing  schooner  Averick  commanded  by  Captain  George 
Carr,  and  the  Rtiby  owned  by  Morse  and  Pool.  These  vessels 
plied  back  and  forth  between  Hallowell  and  Boston  as  early  as 
1797. 

Just  north  of  Sheppard's  Point  were  the  wharves  of 
Captain  Sarson  Butler  where  the  sloop  A^'iadne  used  to  lie  at 
anchor,  and  that  of  Captain  Shubael  West,  with  the  Primi'ose 
and  the  Delia.  These  captains  and  their  sloops  were  well 
known  to  the  people  of  the  Kennebec,  as  they  plied  for  a 
number  of  years  between  Hallowell  and  Boston.  They  had  no 
regular  day  for  sailing,  but  each  captain  started  when  he  was 
ready,  providing  there  was  a  propitious  wind ;  and  the  pas- 
sengers meekly  accommodated  themselves  to  the  order  of  the 
master. 

The  next  wharf  was  that  of  Abner  Lowell  who  owned  the 
Enterprise  and  the  Rapid.  These  two  fine  brigs  were  engaged 
in  the  West  India  trade.  They  sailed  for  Bermuda  laden  with 
lumber,  hay,  cattle,  sheep,  pigs,  and  chickens,  and  returned  in 
a  few  weeks  with  a  cargo  of  molasses  and  that  never  failing 
article  of  general  traffic, —  "W.  I.  Rum."  North  of  Lowell's 
wharf  were  Clark's,  Sewall's,  Livermore's,  Dummer's,  and 
others, — all  busy  and  exciting  places  with  the  coming  and 
going  of  many  crafts.  Great  rafts  of  boards  were  also  shipped 
at  these  wharves  under  the  inspection  of  Gideon  Gilman  who, 


Sources  of  HallowelV  s  Prosperity 


with  shingle  and  pencil  in  hand,  and,  on  hot  days,  sheltered  by 
his  umbrella,  surveyed  every  load  as  it  was  put  on  ship-board. 

More  extensive  than  either  of  the  above  mentioned 
wharves  was  the  one  back  of  Kennebec  Row,  which  extended 
the  whole  length  of  five  stores.  This  wharf  was  built  sixty  or 
seventy  feet  out  into  the  stream  so  that  vessels  could  lie  on 
three  sides  of  it.  The  famous  Boston  packets,  commanded  by 
Andrew  Brown,  James  Blish,  Isaac  Smith,  and  other  well- 
remembered  captains  anchored  here ;  and  this  great  wharf 
was  often  over-crowded  with  freight  awaiting  transporta- 
tion. An  immense  amount  of  business  was  transacted  on  the 
Kennebec  wharf  during  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Much  of  the  freight  shipped  from  Boston  was  for 
the  country  merchants  and  was  stored  in  the  neighboring  ware- 
houses until  called  for.  In  the  fall  of  the  year,  the  wharf  was 
crowded  with  wagons  loaded  with  ^'Chenango"  potatoes  await- 
ing shipment  to  Boston  and  other  ports  ;  and  it  was  not  an 
unusual  sight  to  see  loads  of  grain  running  into  the  holds  of 
the  vessels  from  long  spouts  constructed  at  the  back  of  the 
warehouses. 

The  teamsters,  who  necessarily  took  an  important  part  in 
all  this  traffic,  made  use  of  trucks  consisting  of  two  long  shafts 
extending  from  the  horse  about  fifteen  feet  until  the  rear  ends 
almost  touched  the  ground,  so  that  the  hogsheads  of  molasses 
and  rum  could  be  rolled  up  the  incline  to  the  proper  bearing 
near  the  wheels.  The  arrival  of  the  trains  of  country  produce, 
of  a  vessel  from  the  West  Indies,  or  of  the  regular  packets 
from  Boston,  Newburyport,  Falmouth,  and  other  ports  was  the 
occasion  of  great  bustle  and  excitement  at  the  old  Kennebec 
wharves.  / 

It  is  difficult  now  for  us  to  invest  these  streets  and  the 
river  shores  with  the  activity  and  enterprise  of  these  prosper- 
ous days ;  but  we  know  that  location  and  circumstances 
favored  the  town,  and  even  the  deserted  warehouses  and  grass- 
grown  landings  of  the  present  day  testify  to  the  truth  of  the 
tales  told  to  us  by  our  fathers. 

It  must,  therefore,  be  admitted  that,  at  the  opening  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  the  material  prosperity  of  Hallowell  was 


72 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


due  to  its  agricultural,  commercial,  and  maritime  interests. 
In  the  same  manner  we  must  admit  that  the  sources  of  the 
literary  and  social  prominence  of  the  town  were  its  early 
churches,  schools,  newspapers,  publishing  houses,  libraries, 
lyceums,  and  other  institutions  that  contributed  to  the  moral 
and  intellectual  upbuilding  of  the  community.  But  the  funda- 
mental cause  of  the  prosperity  and  prominence  of  Hallowell  in 
both  respects  was  the  character  of  the  people  by  whom  the 
town  was  first  settled.  The  founders  of  Hallowell  were  men 
of  education,  wealth,  public-spirit,  and  of  high  moral  and  social 
standing.  The  other  settlers  of  all  professions  and  trades,  even 
in  the  humbler  walks  of  life,  were  an  exceptionally  excellent 
class  of  people.  They  came,  many,  of  them,  from  the  best 
families  of  Barnstable,  Essex,  and  Middlesex  counties  in 
Massachusetts,  and  from  Exeter,  and  Dover,  and  other  early 
settled  towns  of  New  Hampshire.  Taken  together,  these 
early  residents  formed  a  community  remarkable  for  its  intelli- 
gence, moral  worth,  social  culture,  enterprise,  and  devotion  to 
the  welfare  of  the  town. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  read  the  story  of  Hallowell  aright, 
we  must  first  become  acquainted  with  some  of  the  eminent 
founders  of  the  town,  and  then  consider  the  religious, 
educational,  and  social  institutions  which  they  maintained. 


VII 


THE  VAUGHAN  FAMILY 

I  desire  to  live  only  for  my  family  and  mankind." 

— Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan. 

^^Bj^HE  names  of  Benjamin  Vaughan,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.,  and 

/  "4  Charles  Vaughan,  Esq.,  must  ever  stand  preeminent 
^F^/  on  the  list  of  the  founders  of  the  town  of  Hallowell. 

Charles  Vaughan,  Esq.,  came  to  Hallowell  in  1791; 
Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  in  1797;  and  the  two  brothers  settled 
upon  a  large  estate  which  they  had  inherited  through  their 
mother,  Sarah  Hallowell  Vaughan. 

Dr.  Benjamin  and  Charles  Vaughan  were  English  gentle- 
men of  education,  culture,  wealth,  and  public  spirit.  They 
came  to  Hallowell  to  make  a  permanent  home  for  themselves 
and  their  children,  and  they  devoted  all  their  energies  and 
resources  to  the  material,  social,  intellectual,  and  religious 
upbuilding  of  the  place.  To  the  Vaughans,  more  than  to  any 
other  one  family,  Hallowell  owes  its  early  commercial  pros- 
perity, and  the  high  social,  mental,  and  moral  standards  that 
were  at  once  established  in  the  town.  Their  names  stand  out 
prominently  in  the  records  of  the  church,  the  schools,  the 
libraries,  and  all  public  business  enterprises. 

A  family  which  constituted  so  important  an  element  in  the 
development  of  the  town  should  receive  ample  and  grateful 
recognition  from  the  historian's  pen  ;  but  word^s  of  eulogy  are 
quite  unnecessary  in  tracing  the  influence  of  a  family  that,  for 
over  a  hundred  years,  has  identified  itself  with  the  interests  of 
our  community,  and  that  still,  at  the  opening  of  the  twentieth 
century,  bears  the  same  comparative  relationship  to  Hallowell 
that  it  did  a  hundred  years  ago. 

The  Vaughans  are  the  only  family  in  our  midst  that 
occupy  a  house  erected  by  their  ancestors  prior  to  the  nine- 
teenth century.    Theirs  is  the  only  home  where  a  collection  of 


74 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Ke7inebec 


household  furnishings,  books,  pictures,  and  other  ancestral 
treasures,  brought  from  England,  at  this  early  period,  is  still 
preserved.  Other  dwellings  of  wealth,  refinement,  and 
influence,  established  at  a  later  date,  still  exist  in  Hallowell; 
but  the  Vaughan  homestead  is  the  only  one  that  has  remained 
intact  in  the  same  family  for  four  generations,  and  in  which  the 
descendants  of  its  first  occupants  still  maintain  its  earliest 
traditions  of  hospitality,  liberality,  delightful  social  life,  and 
devoted  attachment  to  the  interests  of  the  ancient  town. 

There  is  much  that  might  be  written  of  the  founders,  and 
of  the  successive  generations  of  this  family,  but  no  more 
worthy  tribute  can  be  paid  to  their  memory  than  that  which 
exists  in  the  simple  story  of  their  lives  as  it  has  been  known  to 
our  townspeople  for  a  hundred  years.  To  this  story  is  here 
added  such  data  as  may  be  found  in  the  family  history,  and  in 
papers  and  manuscript  letters  cordially  furnished  '  for  these 
pages  by  the  present  members  of  the  Vaughan  family. 

The  Vaughan  family  was  of  Welch  origin.  The  ancestors 
of  the  American  branch  of  the  Vaughan  family  emigrated  to 
Ireland  where  they  became  extensively  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  The  first  recorded  representative  of  this  family,  in 
Ireland,  had  five  children :  William,  Elizabeth,  Joseph,  Mary, 
and  Sarah. 

William  Vaughan,  the  oldest  child,  was  born  in  1620,  and 
died  August  19,  1699.  He  was  then  of  Ballyboe,  near 
Clonmell,  in  Tipperary,  Ireland ;  and  is  on  record  as  "  Mer- 
chant Adventurer  for  Irish  Lands."  This  William  Vaughan 
married  Mary  Colsay,  and  had  four  children  of  whom  the 
youngest,  Benjamin,  was  born  April  28,  1679;  married, 
November  19,  1700,  Ann  Wolf ;  and  died  February  2,  1741-2. 

Benjamin  and  Ann  Wolf  Vaughan  had  twelve  children. 
Our  interest  to-day  centers  in  the  youngest  of  these  children, 
Samuel  Fuer,  who  was  born  April  23,  1720.  After  attaining 
his  majority,  Samuel  Fuer  Vaughan  established  himself  as  a 
merchant  in  London.  He  became  successful  in  his  business 
pursuits,  and  engaged  in  extensive  commercial  enterprises  with 
the  West  Indies  and  the  American  colonies.  His  business 
interests  brought  him  frequently  to  New  England,  and  during 


The   Vaughan  Family 


75. 


his  occasional  visits  to  Boston  he  met  Miss  Sarah  Hallowell, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  Hallowell,  one  of  the  proprietors  of 
the  Kennebec  purchase,  for  whom  the  town  Hallowell  was 
named. 

Samuel  Vaughan  and  Sarah  Hallowell  were  united  in 
marriage,  February  i,  1747.  Their  home  was  in  England  ;  but 
they  often  made  visits  to  the  United  States  and  to  Jamaica 
where  Mr.  Vaughan  owned  a  large  plantation.  Mrs.  Vaughan 
is  described  as  "  a  lady  of  great  amiability  of  character,  of  much 
active  kindness  and  strong  common  sense."  ^  She  was  born 
February  26,  1727,  and  died  in  England,  in  1809. 

The  children  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  Hallowell  Vaughan 
were  : 

1.  Benjamin,  M.  D.,  b.  April  19,  1751;  m.  June  30,  1781, 

Sarah  Manning,  b.  April  20,  1753,  d.  Dec.  6,  1834. 
Benjamin  Vaughan  d.  Dec.  8,  1836. 

2.  William,  b.  Sept.  22,  1752;  d.  May  5,  1850. 

3.  Samuel,  b.  April  13,  1754;  d.  Aug.  1758. 

4.  John,  b.  Jan.  15,  1756;  d.  Dec.  13,  1842. 

5.  Ann,  b.  Oct.  24,  1757;  m.  1784,  John  Darby,  brother  of 

General  and  Admiral  Darby;  d.  Dec.  9,  1847. 

6.  Charles,  b.  June  30,  1759;  m.  1794,  Frances  Western 

Apthorp;  d.  May  15,  1839. 

7.  Sarah,  b.  Feb.  18,  1761;  d.  Sept.  29,  1818. 

8.  Samuel,  b.  June  22,  1762;  d.  Dec.  4,  1802. 

9.  Barbara  Eddy,  b.  Nov.  4.  1763. 

10.  Rebecca,  b.  April  26,  1766;  m.  April  10,  1798,  John 

Merrick;  d.  July  9,  1851. 

11.  Hannah,  b.  March  19,  1768;  d.  Jan.  i,  1770/. 

Mr.  Samuel  Vaughan,  through  his  visits  and  travels  in  the 
United  States  became  much  interested  in  our  new  political 
institutions  and  form  of  government.  He  was  a  great  admirer 
of  General  Washington  ;  and  in  i  "J^T-^^  as  a  token  of  personal 
esteem,  he  presented  to  Washington  the  superb  chimney-piece 
which  is  now  in  the  great  hall  at  Mount  Vernon. 

This  chimney-piece  was  made,  by  order  of  Mr.  Vaughan^ 

I  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner.  Me.  Hist.  Col.  Vol.  VI,  p.  86. 


76 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


in  Italy,  of  the  finest  Syenite  and  Parian  marbles.  The  mantle- 
shelf  is  supported  by  two  fluted  Doric  columns.  The  sculp- 
tures on  the  three  tablets  beneath  the  shelf,  represent  scenes 
in  domestic  country  life :  the  farmer  and  his  wife  beneath  an 
oak  tree,  with  sheep  and  one  huge  ox  in  the  foreground;  the 
children  drawing  water  from  the  well ;  and  a  sturdy  lad 
standing  beside  the  two  farm  horses  and  the  plough.  The 
hearth  in  front  of  the  chimney-piece  is  of  white  marble  inlaid 
with  figures  of  a  tasteful  conventional  design.  The  fire-place 
beneath  the  mantle  is  very  large;  and  has  cast  its  glowing 
light  on  many  a  brilliant  assemblage  in  the  great  hall  at  Mount 
Vernon. 

A  diary  containing  an  account  of  the  journey  made  by 
Samuel  Vaughan  on  horseback  through  Pennsylvania,  Mary- 
land and  Virginia,  when  he  went  to  visit  Washington  at  Mount 
Vernon  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Vaughan, 
of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts. 

Benjamin  Vaughan,  the  oldest  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah 
Hallowell  Vaughan,  was  born  April  19,  175 1,  in  Jamaica, 
during  one  of  the  visits  of  his  parents  to  their  estate  on  that 
island.  A  pleasant  glimpse  of  the  boyhood  of  Benjamin  is 
given  in  the  memoir  of  his  brother,  William  Vaughan.  This 
brother  became  eminent  in  London  through  his  writings  upon 
commercial,  naval,  and  other  topics  of  national  importance. 
He  was  Governor  of  the  Royal  Exchange  Assurance  Corpora- 
ation,  and  an  active  member  of  numerous  literary  and  philan- 
thropic societies  both  in  England  and  America.  Among  his 
published  works  is  a  brief  narrative  of  his  early  life  and  that  of 
his  brother  Benjamin,  which  is  of  especial  interest  to  us  to-day. 

"My  parents,"  writes  William  Vaughan,  "were  desirous 
of  giving  their  children  a  good  and  useful  education ;  and  my 
excellent  mother  paid  great  attention  to  their  health,  religion, 
morals,  and  temper."  Benjamin  and  his  brother  William 
were  placed  at  school  at  the  Academy  at  Warrington,  situated 
between  Liverpool  and  Manchester,  where  they  "  derived  many 
advantages  from  the  various  lectures  on  history,  literature,  and 


The   Vaughan  Family 


77 


general  knowledge."  .  .  .  "The  Academy  at  Warrington,  at 
that  period  was  held  in  great  estimation  from  the  reputation  of 
its  tutors  and  the  greater  field  they  held  out  in  promoting 
general  knowledge  and  science,  in  liberal  principles,  and  in 
many  other  pursuits  not  to  be  obtained  in  common  Grammar- 
schools.  Dr.  Aiken,  the  divinity  tutor,  was  a  man  of  great 
reputation,  and  was  the  parent  of  Dr.  John  Aiken  and  Mrs. 
Barbauld,  whose  literary  works  are  well  known  to  the  public. 
Dr.  Priestly  was  another  tutor  distinguished  for  his  amiable 
character  and  kindness  of  manner  as  well  as  for  his  literary  and 
philosophical  pursuits,  and  for  his  lectures  on  history." 
Benjamin  and  William  Vaughan  had  the  good  fortune  to  reside 
in  the  house  of  Dr.  Priestly,  and  ''derived  very  great 
advantage  from  that  circumstance." 

My  brother,"  continues  Mr.  William  Vaughan,  ''  was 
possessed  of  considerable  talents  and  general  knowledge,  which 
by  perseverance  made  him  conversant  with  philosophical 
pursuits,  and  introduced  him  to  the  acquaintance  of  many 
distinguished  men.  After  leaving  Warrington  he  went  to 
Cambridge,  and  thence  t6  the  Temple  where  he  studied  law, 
and  went  subsequently  to  Edinburg  where  he  studied  medicine, 
but  never  practiced  either  professionally.  He  was  in  Parlia- 
ment for  some  time,  and  afterwards  removed  to  America,  and 
resided  many  years  at  Hallowell,  in  the  State  of  Maine,  where 
he  continued  his  literary,  scientific,  and  agricultural  pur- 
suits. .  .  .  He  was  well  acquainted  with  Sir  Joseph  Banks, 
Mr.  Cavendish,  Dr.  Price,  Dr.  Franklin,  Sir  Charles  Blagden, 
and  Dr.  Priestly,  who,  when  he  published  his  lectures  on 
History,  in  1797,  dedicated  them  to  his  pupil.  His  friendship 
and  connexions  with  Dr.  Franklin  were  intin^ate  and  lasting, 
particularly  during  the  period  when  my  brother  was  con- 
fidentially employed  to  promote  the  negotiation  of  a  peace 
with  America."  ' 

This  outline  of  the  life  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  from 
the  pen  of  his  brother  and  the  comrade  of  his  youth,  is  a  very 
fitting  introduction  to  the  life  of  the  maturer  man  as  it  was 


^  Memoir  of  William  Vaughan,  pp.  4-7. 


78 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


spent  in  Hallowell.  We  have  now  only  to  fill  in  the  details  of 
the  picture  from  the  reminiscences  of  our  own  ancestors,  and 
such  printed  and  manuscript  records  as  are  at  this  time 
available. 

The  education  of  Dr.  Vaughan  at  Cambridge  was  unique 
from  the  fact  that  although  he  took  the  prescribed  course  of 
study,  he  never  matriculated  at  the  university.  This  was  on 
account  of  Mr.  Vaughan's  religious  views.  Having  been 
brought  up  as  a  Unitarian,  he  could  not  conscientiously  sub- 
scribe to  the  thirty-nine  articles  required  for  matriculation. 
He  was  therefore  not  admitted  to  any  of  the  collegiate  honors 
but  in  other  respects,  had  the  same  advantages  as  other 
students." 

Soon  after  leaving  Cambridge,  Mr.  Vaughan  became 
private  secretary  to  Lord  Shelburne;  and  it  was  about  this 
time  that  he  met  and  fell  ardently  in  love  with  Miss  Sarah 
Manning,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  William  Manning,  a 
wealthy  London  merchant.  The  father  of  Miss  Manning  at 
first  refused  his  consent  to  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  with 
Mr.  Vaughan  because  the  latter  had  no  profession  or  private 
fortune.  Mr.  Vaughan  therefore  left  London  for  Edinburg 
where  he  studied  medicine  and  obtained  the  degree  of  M.  D. 
from  the  university.  With  this  as  a  pledge  for  the  future, 
Dr.  Vaughan  secured  the  hand  of  Miss  Manning  in  marriage. 
The  wedding  took  place  June  30,  1781  ;  and,  if  the  father  of 
the  bride  did  not  bestow  upon  the  lover  one  half  of  his  king- 
dom —  according  to  the  custom  in  the  old  fairy  tales  —  he  did 
make  him  a  partner  in  his  extensive  and  lucrative  business,  at 
Billiter  Square.  In  addition  to  this,  the  two  fathers,  Mr. 
Manning  and  Mr.  Samuel  Vaughan,  we  are  told,  so  generously 
endowed  the  young  couple  that  they  had  an  independent 
fortune  upon  which,  like  the  prince  and  princess  in  the  story- 
book, they  continued  to  live  happily  all  the  days  of  their  life. 

The  family  connections  of  Mrs.  Vaughan  brought  her  in 
contact  with  many  interesting  people.  Her  father,  William 
Manning  had  a  large  circle  of  eminent  and  influential  friends  ; 
her  brother,  William  Manning,  was  Governor  of  the  Bank  of 
England ;  her  nephew,   Henry  Edward   Manning,  was  the 


Dr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vaughan 


The   Vaughan  Family 


79 


celebrated  Cardinal  who  seceded  from  the  Church  of  England 
to  the  Church  of  Rome  ;  one  of  her  sisters  married  the  famous 
South  Carolina  patriot,  John  Laurens,  who  has  been  called  the 
"  Bayard  of  the  Revolution."  Mrs.  Laurens,  however,  never 
came  to  America.  Her  young  husband,  who  had  been 
educated  in  England,  returned  to  his  own  country  and  entered 
the  army.  He  was  the  American  Commissioner  to  Paris  in 
1 781;  and  soon  after  his  successful  negotiation  of  the  French 
loan,  resumed  his  position  in  the  Revolutionary  ranks.  He 
was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Combahee ;  and  in  that  unfortunate . 
skirmish  America  lost  one  of  her  noblest  patriots  and  most 
valiant  sons.  Washington  said  of  Laurens  :  "He  had  not  a 
fault  that  I  could  discover  unless  it  were  an  intrepidity  border- 
ing on  rashness." 

Other  American  friends  of  the  Mannings  were  Henry 
Laurens,  the  father  of  John  Laurens,  Benjamin  Franklin,  and 
Archbishop  Chevenes,  with  all  of  whom  the  Vaughans  were 
closely  associated.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  while  Mrs. 
Benjamin  Vaughan  was  allied  by  family  ties  to  all  that  was 
best  in  English  life,  she  had,  at  the  same  time,  become  familiar, 
through  the  American  friends  of  her  family,  with  the  spirit  of 
American  life;  and  when  Dr.  Vaughan  decided  to  come  to  New 
England  for  a  permanent  residence,  she  bravely  set  out  with 
her  family  for  their  new  home  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec. 

The  political  career  of  Dr.  Vaughan  in  England  and 
France,  is  a  matter  of  history,  and  yet  very  few  of  our  people 
of  the  present  generation  understand  the  important  service 
rendered  by  Dr.  Vaughan  in  the  establishment  of  peace 
between  our  own  country  and  Great  Britain,  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolution.  This  is  a  story  that  should  be  indelibly  engraven 
upon  the  records  of  a  town  that  proudly  claims  Benjamin 
Vaughan  as  the  most  eminent  of  its  founders. 

At  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  Dr.  Vaughan  was  the 
personal  friend  of  the  American  patriots,  Henry  and  John 
Laurens,  of  John  Jay  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  our  peace  commis- 
sioners at  Paris  in  1782,  and  also  of  Lord  Shelburne,  the  prime 
minister  of  England,  under  whom  he  had  formerly  served  as 
secretary.    It  therefore  happened  that,  at  the  request  of  Lord 


8o 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Shelburne,  Dr.  Vaughan  went  to  Paris  to  consult  with 
Franklin  and  Jay  in  regard  to  peace  negotiations,  and  spent  a 
whole  year  engaged  in  this  mission.  England  at  this  critical 
period  was  insisting  on  treating  with  our  country  as  colonies, 
while  Jay  declared  that  peace  could  not  be  made  until  the 
colonies  were  recognized  in  the  treaty  as  the  United  States  of 
America.  No  progress  was  therefore  made  in  the  negotiations 
until  Dr.  Vaughan  returned  to  England  and  by  his  personal 
efforts  convinced  Lord  Shelburne  of  the  necessity  of  accepting 
the  terms  proposed  by  the  American  commissioners.  The 
treaty  was  then  completed;  and  Dr.  Vaughan,  at  Lord 
Shelburne's  request,  again  set  out  for  Paris,  taking  with  him 
the  royal  messenger  who  bore  the  new  commission  recognizing 
in  its  wording  the  independence  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  Our  country  therefore  owes  to  Dr.  Benjamin 
Vaughan  a  perpetual  debt  of  gratitude. 

From  1783  to  1794,  Dr.  Vaughan  resided  in  London,  and 
while  engaged  in  active  business  also  carried  on  his  political 
and  scientific  studies.  He  was  closely  associated  with  many 
eminent  men  of  the  time,  and  frequently  entertained  in  his  own 
home  such  men  as  Jeremy  Bentham,  Sheridan,  Sir  Samuel 
Romilly,  Grey,  Wilberforce,  M.  de  Narbonne,  and  the  Bishop 
of  Autun.  In  1792,  he  was  returned  to  Parliament  where  he 
remained  nearly  two  years. 

The  political  position  of  Dr.  Vaughan  has  been  very  plainly 
and  authoritatively  stated  in  a  sketch  in  the  American  Encyclo- 
pedia of  Biography.  From  this  article  we  learn  that  Dr. 
Vaughan  was  "  opposed  to  any  attempt  to  disturb  the  existing 
form  of  government  in  his  own  country,  but  as  the  French 
Revolution  developed,  the  popular  tide  in  England  set  strongly 
against  those  men  who  had  shown  sympathy  with  its  earlier 
stages,  and  more  rigorous  laws  were  demanded  against  those 
suspected  of  sympathy  with  what  were  called  Revolutionary 
ideas.  Vaughan,  from  his  place  in  parliament  was  well  known 
to  Pitt  as  one  of  the  active  opponents  of  his  administration. 
Under  these  circumstances  he  decided  to  leave  England  for 
the  continent  until  times  had  become  settled,  and  accordingly 
in  1794,  he  went  to  France  and  afterwards  to  Switzerland. 


Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan 


The   Vaughan  Family 


8i 


While  in  France  he  was  several  times  suspected  of  being  an 
English  spy,  and  was  obliged  to  live  in  close  retirement.  In 
Switzerland  he  devoted  himself  to  political  correspondence  and 
literary  pursuits.  He  was  assured  by  Pitt  that  he  could  at  any 
time  return  to  England  with  safety,  but  he  had  become  so 
much  interested  in  republican  principles  that  he  determined  to 
live  in  the  United  States." 


It  was  but  natural,  at  this  crisis,  that  the  thoughts  of 
Dr.  Vaughan  should  turn  to  the  Kennebec  Valley  as  the  place 
for  an  ideal  home.  His  mother  had  inherited  large  estates  in 
Hallowell;  his  brother  Charles  had  already  made  a  home 
in  this  promising  new  country;  and  to  this  favored  spot 
Dr.  Vaughan  determined  to  remove  with  his  family  and  live 
according  to  his  own  ideas  of  republican  simplicity. 

The  family  of  Dr.  Vaughan  was  at  this  time  unable  to 
meet  him  in  Paris  on  account  of  the  war  between  France  and 
England.  His  wife  and  cTiildren  therefore  sailed  for  America 
under  the  charge  of  Mr.  John  Merrick,  a  young  Englishman, 
at  that  time  a  tutor  in  Dr.  Vaughan's  family.  On  their  arrival 
at  Boston,  they  were  received  by  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan  and 
taken  to  Little  Cambridge,  now  Brighton,  where,  eighteen 
months  later,  they  were  joined  by  Dr.  Vaughan  and  soon  after 
removed  to  their  estate  at  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec. 

The  importance  of  the  advent  of  the  Vaughan  family  in 
Hallowell  has  been  previously  stated.  We  already  know 
something  of  its  effect  upon  the  life  and  welfare  of  the  early 
settlers  of  the  town;  but  there  is  another  side  to  this  old  story; 
and  we  wonder  to-day  what  were  the  feelings  of  /this  cultivated 
English  gentleman  and  his  fair  and  delicately  bred  young  wife 
as  they  first  set  their  feet  within  the  wilderness  of  Maine,  and 
how  they  were  impressed  by  their  new  neighbors  and  their 
strange  surroundings. 

Fortunately  a  commodious  and  comfortable  home  had 
been  provided  for  the  members  of  Dr.  Vaughan's  family  some 
time  before  their  arrival.  For  several  years  previous  to  1797, 
Mr.  Charles  Vaughan  had  been  engaged  in  clearing  and  culti- 


82 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


vating  the  land,  and  had  erected  the  mansion  house  that  still 
stands  upon  the  Vaughan  estate.  In  this  new  home  Dr. 
Vaughan  established  his  household. 

We  can  now  easily  fancy  the  weariness  and  discomforts  of 
a  journey  in  those  days  from  Boston  to  the  Kennebec.  A 
sailing  vessel  brought  the  family  to  Merrymeeting  Bay;  then 
Mr.  Merrick  and  the  children  continued  their  journey  by  water 
to  Gardinerstown,  from  which  place  they  reached  Hallowell 
by  a  foot-path  through  the  forest.  The  oldest  daughter  being 
an  invalid  was  carried  on  a  litter  and  thus  had  her  first  glimpse 
of  the  autumnal  glory  of  the  woods  of  Maine.  In  the  mean- 
time Dr.  and  Mrs.  Vaughan  undertook  to  drive  over  the  rude 
forest  road  leading  through  Winthrop  to  Hallowell;  and  there 
is  nothing  which  brings  us  quite  so  closely  in  touch  with  the 
brave  little  English  lady  on  her  way  to  her  new  home  as  a  few 
sentences  written  by  her  husband  descriptive  of  their  journey. 

In  one  of  the  old  family  letters  placed  at  my  disposal  I  find 
this  paragraph  written  by  Dr.  Vaughan  to  his  brother,  in 
September,  1797: 

"  Five  days  in  this  equinoctial  season  would  have  furnished  light 
enough  to  finishing  our  journey,  but  as  it  was  we  slept  at  Winthrop  instead 
of  breakfasting'  there.  The  lady's  terrors  were  the  cause,  though  she 
behaved  with  courage  on  most  occasions,  and  in  particular  by  trusting 
herself  to  me.  The  horse  and  chaise  deserves  commemoration  also  ; 
though  the  former  coughed  now  and  then,  and  fell  once  or  twice  lame, 
but  I  hope  not  permanently.  .  .  .  Had  the  lady  shown  her  courage  by 
travelling  all  night,  and  suffered  her  husband  to  break  her  neck  and  his 
own,  she  would  have  escaped  reproaches  and  perhaps  been  commemo- 
rated for  a  great  fool."  | 

We  thus  perceive  that  the  Lady  of  the  Perilous  Journey 
was  wise  as  well  as  witty ;  and  that,  since  her  courage  had  been 
sufficiently  tested,  she  did  not  propose  to  perish  in  the  forest 
within  one  day's  distance  of  the  desired  haven.  We  can  also 
easily  fancy  the  pleasure  with  which  ''the  lady"  alighted  from 
the  uncomfortable  old  chaise  at  the  door  of  her  new  home  and 
gazed  for  the  first  time  upon  the  beautiful  Kennebec  set 
between  its  banks  of  gorgeous  coloring  on  that  September  day 
of  the  year  1797. 

The  home  to  which  Dr.  Vaughan  had  brought  his  family 


Mrs,  Sarah  Manning  Vaughan 


The   Vaughan  Family 


83 


was  really  a  palatial  residence  for  the  place  and  period.  The 
house  was  a  large,  square,  two-story  edifice,  with  a  long 
veranda  on  the  southern  side,  and  a  spacious  wing  extending 
to  the  north.  It  stood  on  an  eminence  commanding  a  fine 
viev\^  of  the  river,  and  was  surrounded  by  groups  of  great  oaks, 
and  pines,  and  other  ancient  trees.  Beyond  was  the  unbroken 
forest;  and  yet  visions  of  smooth  lawns,  green-houses,  and 
fruitful  gardens  immediately  arose  in  the  minds  of  the  new 
possessors  of  this  domain;  and  these  visions  were  speedily 
realized. 

Very  soon  after  his  arrival.  Dr.  Vaughan  writes  to  his 
brother  of  his  plan  to  bring  water  to  the  house  "by  means  of 
pipes  coming  from  a  reservoir  to  be  made  at  the  spring-house;" 
of  a  winding  avenue  for  carriages  from  the  main  road  to  the 
house;  of  a  garden  ^'having  a  terrace  to  divide  it  into  an  upper 
and  lower  part,  or  into  a  vegetable  and  fruit  part;"  and  in  the 
same  letter,  Dr.  Vaughan  orders  ''several  thousand  slips  of 
white  currant  trees"  for  this  garden.  All  of  these  improve- 
ments were  soon  made,  and  the  Vaughan  garden  became  the 
wonder  and  admiration  of  the  whole  neighborhood. 

A  description  of  the  view  from  this  garden  written  by  one 
v/ho  was  familiar  with  the  place  not  many  years  after  the 
coming  of  Dr.  Vaughan,  will  bring  the  scene  very  vividly  to  our 
sight : 

''The  Vaughan  garden  lay  in  the  midst  of  a  landscape  of 
surpassing  beauty.  It  rose  gradually  from  the  entrance  gate 
near  the  house,  until  in  ascending  the  walk  you  found  yourself 
on  the  height  of  a  declivity  at  the  verge  of  tall  woods  in  a 
summerhouse;  from  this  airy  resting  place  there  was  a  magnifi- 
cent view  of  the  village,  distant  hills,  and  the  g^entle  waters  of 
the  Kennebec.  .  .  .  Near  the  spot  were  mowing-fields,  and 
pastures  with  cattle  grazing,  and  some  shady  oaks  yet  spared 
by  the  Goths  in  their  clearings.  .  .  .  Behind  the  summer- 
house  loom.ed  up  a  steep  mountain  deeply  wooded,  and  between 
them  was  a  precipitous  ravine  or  narrow  glen  through  which  a 
powerful  stream  ran  headlong  from  ledge  to  ledge,  beneath 
dark  shadows  of  tall  trees,  until  it  leaped  down  like  a  miniature 
cataract  and  formed  a  pretty  basin  where  we  sometimes  caught 


84 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Ke^mebec 


a  trout  or  two.  .  .  .  This  remarkable  waterfall  was  called  the 
*  Cascade,'  accessible  by  a  winding  path  down  the  steep,  and  its 
murmur  could  be  heard  from  the  summerhouse  in  the  stillness 
of  the  evening."  ^ 

The  interior  of  the  Vaughan  house  was  arranged  in  a 
manner  that  must  have  seemed  luxurious  to  the  residents  of 
Hallowell  at  this  early  period;  for,  as  Dr.  Vaughan  writes,  ''an 
English  family  cannot  easily  submit  to  the  privations  of  ancient 
comforts  in  cases  where  the  continuance  of  them  is  easily  to  be 
managed."  The  rooms  were  spacious  and  sunshiny;  and  in 
one  of  the  front  parlors,  the  windows  had  been  cut  down  to  the 
floor,  in  order  to  give  a  better  view  of  the  river.  Dr.  Vaughan, 
in  one  of  his  letters  to  his  brother  expresses  regret  that  this  has 
been  done,  on  account  of  the  coldness  of  the  Maine  climate  in 
winter;  but  Mrs.  Vaughan  interpolates  an  "N.  B."  saying  "/ 
am  much  obliged  by  the  attention." 

Each  of  the  rooms  had  a  large  fire-place,  and  the  great 
blazing  wood  fires  kept  the  whole  house  aglow  with  light  and 
warmth.  These  fire-places  are  now  bordered  with  quaint 
Dutch  tiles  whose  pictures  tell  many  curious  tales  to  the  guests 
who  sit  around  the  hearthstones  in  the  old  Vaughan  mansion. 

The  furnishings  of  the  house  were  brought  from  England; 
and  the  high-posted,  canopied  bedsteads,  the  huge,  carved 
clothes-presses  and  chests  of  drawers,  the  antique  mirrors  and 
quaint  silver  candle-sticks,  the  inlaid  writing-desks,  the  ancient 
chairs,  tables,  and  sideboard,  and  the  tall  ancestral  clock,  all 
stand  as  they  were  first  placed  in  this  old  home. 

In  the  dining-room  is  the  antique  samovar  of  ebony,  with 
silver  mountings,  in  which  the  water  was  made  to  boil  by 
plunging  into  it  a  bar  of  red-hot  iron.  In  the  cabinets  are  the 
rare  old  cups  and  saucers  in  which  the  lady  of  the  mansion 
served  the  fragrant  tea  to  the  ever  welcome  guest ;  and  on  the 
sideboard  is  a  case  of  rosewood,  ornamented  with  silver,  that 
contains  a  curious  set  of  knives  and  forks  of  steel,  with  handles 
of  white  and  blue  porcelain. 

It  is  said  that  when  Dr.  Vaughan  came  to  Hallowell  he 

I  John  H.  Sheppard,  N.  E.  Gen.  Reg.  Vol.  XIX,  p.  350. 


The   Vaughan  Family 


85 


left  nearly  all  of  the  family  silver  to  be  sold  in  London,  think- 
ing that  if  he  used  it  in  America  it  would  encourage  extrava- 
gant ideas  of  living  in  this  nev/  country.  He  brought  with  him, 
however,  a  collection  of  rare  old  china  and  sets  of  Wedgewood 
and  blue  Canton  ware.  One  beautiful  set  of  china  bearing  the 
Vaughan  monogram  and  also  some  of  the  Vaughan  silver 
inherited  by  Mrs.  Lucy  Vaughan  Emmons,  were  destroyed  by 
fire  when  the  Emmons  house  was  burned. 

Still  more  interesting  and  valuable  are  the  family  portraits 
which  now  hang  on  the  walls  of  the  Vaughan  mansion.  In 
one  of  the  parlors  there  is  a  fine  portrait  of  Samuel  Vaughan, 
father  of  Dr.  Benjamin;  and  in  the  octagon  room  there  is  a 
large  picture  of  the  Vaughan  family,  painted  in  London  in 
1754.  It  represents  Mrs.  Sarah  Hallowell  Vaughan,  as  a 
central  figure,  holding  her  son  Samuel  in  her  lap,  with 
Benjamin  at  her  side,  and  little  William  on  the  floor  playing 
with  a  dog.  Mr.  Samuel  Vaughan  stands  in  a  graceful  and 
dignified  attitude  at  the  left. 

Other  valuable  pictures  are  the  portraits  of  the  celebrated 
Dr.  Priestly  and  his  wife,  and  of  William  Manning,  Governor 
of  the  Bank  of  London.  Most  interesting  and  delightful  of 
all,  are  the  faces  of  Dr.  Benjamin  and  Mrs.  Vaughan  which 
still  look  down  upon  us  from  their  frames  with  an  expression 
of  cordial,  old-time  hospitality. 

Mrs.  Vaughan  is  said  by  one  who  knew  her  to  have  been 
"a  very  handsome,  elegant,  and  accomplished  lady;"  ^  and  the 
portrait  representing  her  in  her  more  advanced  years,  shows  a 
beautiful  svv^eet-faced  woman,  wearing  a  cap  and  kerchief  of 
filmy  lace. 

Another  personal  souvenir  of  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vaughan  is 
the  pair  of  "pattens,"  or  wooden  shoes,  having  two  bridge-like 
pieces  of  wood  to  lift  them  from  the  ground,  and  straps  of 
black  velvet  to  fasten  them  over  the  foot.  These  the  little 
lady  undoubtedly  wore  in  damp  weather  when  she  went  to  call 
on  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Emmons,  or  her  sister-in-law,  Mrs. 
Merrick,  at  the  old  Merrick  homestead. 


^  Hon.  John  H.  Sheppard. 


86 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Other  quaint  and  curious  things  which  the  Vaughans 
brought  from  England  were  the  two  sun  dials  which  for  more 
than  a  century  have  marked  the  passing  hours;  and  the  oval 
shaped  door-plate  marked  ''B.  Vaughan,"  which  once  had  a 
place  at  the  entrance  of  their  London  home;  and  a  writing- 
desk,  painted  with  flowers  by  the  hand  of  Mrs.  John  Laurens, 
the  sister  of  Mrs.  Vaughan. 

Most  notable  of  all  is  the  library  of  Dr.  Vaughan  which,  at 
the  time  of  his  coming  to  Hallowell,  was  the  largest  collection 
of  books  in  New  England,  with  the  exception  of  that  of 
Harvard  College.  This  library  contained  over  ten  thousand 
volumes,  and  included  works  on  history,  science,  philosophy, 
and  literature.  Many  of  the  books  are  still  kept  at  the 
Vaughan  homestead.  The  medical  works,  which  were  very 
rare  and  valuable,  were  bequeathed  to  the  Insane  Hospital  at 
Augusta;  other  books  were  donated  to  Bowdoin  college;  but 
the  greater  part  of  the  library  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
Dr.  Vaughan's  descendants  in  Cambridge  and  Boston. 

Dr.  Vaughan  was  himself  a  most  scholarly  and  learned 
man.  It  has  been  said  of  him  that  "  his  knowledge  was  always 
at  command  and  no  subject  could  be  introduced  into  conversa- 
tion upon  which  he  would  not  give  additional  information. 
From  this  very  extensive  knowledge  and  ready  power  of 
producing  it,  he  has  been  called  a  walking  encyclopedia."  ^ 

But  Dr.  Vaughan  was  not  only  learned  in  the  works  of 
others;  he  was  himself  a  thinker  and  writer.  He  was  the 
author  of  numerous  political,  philosophical,  and  scientific 
papers,  and  of  several  historical  treatises  which  he  wrote  at 
the  special  request  of  President  Adams.  His  most  important 
work  was  entitled  "The  Rural  Socrates;"  and  was  an  account 
of  a  celebrated  philosophical  farmer  living  in  Switzerland  and 
known  by  the  name  of  Kilyogg.  The  book  bears  the  imprint 
of  Peter  Edes  of  Hallowell,  A.  D.  iSoo.  Mr.  Vaughan  also 
collected  and  published  "The  Political,  Miscellaneous,  and 
Philosophical  Essays  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin;"  and  edited  a 
memoir  of  Dr.  Franklin. 


Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner. 


The  Vaughan  Family 


87 


Dr.  Vaughan  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Maine 
Historical  Society  and  was  a  member  of  numerous  literary 
and  scientific  societies,  both  in  this  country  and  Europe.  The 
degree  of  LL.  D.  was  bestowed  upon  him  by  Harvard  College 
in  1 80 1,  and  by  Bowdoin  College,  in  181 2. 

Although  educated  for  the  profession  of  medicine,  Dr. 
Vaughan  did  not  practice  as  a  regular  physician,  but  was  con- 
stantly called  upon  to  consult  with  other  doctors  in  serious 
cases.  He  always  gave  his  advice  and  services  gratuitously. 
He  visited  the  poor  without  charge,  and  furnished  them  not 
only  with  medicines,  but  often  with  nourishing  food,  and  with 
fruit  and  other  delicacies  from  his  garden. 

In  the  year  181 1,  the  terrible  epidemic  known  as  the 
"  spotted  fever"  prevailed  in  New  England.  Hallowell  did 
not  escape  the  dread  disease ;  and  during  its  prevalance  here. 
Dr.  Vaughan  used  his  utmost  efforts  to  check  its  progress,  and 
save  the  lives  of  the  people.  At  one  time,  when  Dr.  Page,  the 
eminent  and  successful  physician  of  Hallowell,  was  summoned 
to  aid  the  suffering  inhabitants  of  Wiscasset,  Dr.  Vaughan 
voluntarily  assumed  the  care  of  the  numerous  cases  of  spotted 
fever  in  Hallowell,  until  the  return  of  Dr.  Page. 

Many  stories  of  the  benevolences,  generosity,  and  neigh- 
borly kindness  of  Dr.  Vaughan  have  come  down  to  us  in  the 
tales  of  the  ''good  old  times"  which  our  grandparents  have 
told  us ;  but  I  can  give  no  more  fitting  ending  to  this  sketch  of 
the  early  benefactor  of  Hallowell  than  the  tribute  of  Mr.  Johrk 
H.  Sheppard  who  writes  from  his  own  knowledge  and  memory 
of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan: 

''The  influence  a  man  of  fortune,  learning,  and  piety 
may  exert  in  a  country  village  is  incalculable.  .  .  .  Such  a  man 
was  the  'magnate  of  the  place.'  Every  man,  woman,  and 
child  looked  up  to  him,  as  it  were,  to  a  superior  being.  To  hijn 
strangers  sought  an  introduction.  His  doo^  was  ever  open  to 
hospitality.  In  short,  he  was  the  Genius  Loci,  the  spirit  of  the 
spot.  It  was  eminently  so  in  Hallowell  during  Dr.  Vaughan's 
life.  In  religion,  education,  gardening,  agriculture,  and  love  of 
reading,  he  gave  a  healthy  tone  to  society.  Ever  sociable, 
meek,  yet  dignified  in  his  address,  willing  to  impart  his  exten- 


88 


Old  Halloivell  on  the  Kennebec 


sive  knowledge  to  others,  and  at  all  times  ready  to  visit  the 
sick  and  relieve  the  poor  and  needy,  he  was  greatly  beloved. 
His  life  is  a  striking  instance  that  every  town  and  village  must 
have  a  head  to  look  up  to,  some  man  of  moral  power  and  influ- 
ence, like  a  sun  shining  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  radiating  its 
beams  in  every  direction,  and  leading  the  thoughts  heavenward 
by  his  good  works.  Dr.  Vaughan  was  not  tall,  yet  he  was  of 
medium  height;  in  body  well-proportioned  and  full;  of  an 
elegant  form;  his  hair  had  early  turned  into  the  white  locks  of 
age ;  his  eye  was  of  a  dark  blue,  clear  and  mild ;  his  nose 
aquiline;  each  feature  strongly  marked,  and  expressive;  and 
when  he  smiled,  it  drew  all  hearts  towards  him,  for  it  was  the 
reflection  of  the  goodness  within.  He  dressed  in  the  dignified 
costume  of  the  Old  School,  and  was  particularly  neat  in  his 
apparel.  He  rode  a  horse  remarkably  well,  and  from  his  easy 
and  graceful  motions  he  must  have  been  a  graceful  dancer  in 
his  youth.  He  wrote  a  peculiar  hand  and  with  great  rapidity, 
and  composed  with  fluency  and  readiness.  He  carried  on  a 
vast  correspondence  with  friends  in  this  country  and  abroad, 
and  at  home  he  always  seemed  reading  or  writing.  In  the 
winter  evenings  you  would  find  him  at  a  small  writing  table  by 
the  side  of  a  sparkling  wood  fire,  busily  employed  like  Prospero 
in  the  kingdom  of  his  books,  unless  called  off  by  some 
stranger;  while  his  charming  family  entertained  their  usual 
company  with  whom  he  would  often  mingle  in  conversation. 
His  very  presence  gave  to  the  domestic  circle  that  indescribable 
charm,  which  like  a  halo  surrounds  a  person  of  talents  and 
profound  learning. 

"The  close  of  Dr.  Vaughan's  life  was  at  the  golden  age  of 
eighty-five.  He  had  scarcely  ever  known  sickness,  nor  were 
the  powers  of  his  mind  impaired.  Always  master  of  himself, 
he  preserved  his  cheerfulness  to  the  last.  So  calm,  so  serene, 
so  simple  in  his  habits,  so  unselfish,  so  delicate  in  his  own 
feelings  and  considerate  of  the  feelings  of  others,  a  worshiper 
of  God  without  ostentation  in  his  family,  and  ever  ready  to  do 
good  to  his  neighbor,  this  Christian  Philosopher  was  not  only 
one  of  the  best  of  citizens,  but  I  must  say,  the  happiest  man  I 
ever  saw.    It  seemed  as  though  that  divine  passage  of  St. 


The  Vaughan  Family 


89 


Paul  was  always  present  to  his  mind:  'Finally,  brethren, 
whatsoever  things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  what- 
soever things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatso- 
ever things  are  of  good  report ;  if  there  be  any  virtue,  if  there 
be  any  praise,  think  on  these  things.'  And  he  did  think  on 
these  things.  They  were  the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass 
which  regulated  his  voyage  of  life,  and  at  the  end  I  doubt  not 
he  viewed  death  as  a  kind  messenger  from  above."  ^ 

Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  died  December  8,  1836,  and  was 
interred  in  the  family  burial  ground  on  the  Vaughan  estate  in 
Hallo  well. 


Dr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vaughan  had  a  family  of  seven 
children.  These  children  were  all  educated  in  the  Vaughan 
home  where  they  had  great  advantages  from  constant  inter- 
course with  refined  society  and  from  the  instruction  of  accomp- 
lished and  learned  teachers.  The  first  of  these  teachers  was 
the  scholarly  John  Merrick;  the  second  was  George  Barron, 
said  to  be  "an  adept  in  the  exact  sciences;"  and  the  third 
was  William  Wells,  a  Cambridge  graduate  of  ripe  scholarship. 
The  teacher  of  French  and  dancing  was  Monsieur  Lebell  of 
Paris.  This  highly  educated  and  cultured  Frenchman  was  also 
an  excellent  violinist.  Mr.  Sheppard  said  of  him:  'T  never 
heard  anyone,  save  Ole  Bull,  draw  a  softer,  sweeter  bow  on  the 
violin."  Under  the  tuition  of  Monsieur  Lebell,  Mr.  Vaughan's 
children  all  became  fine  French  scholars.  Sarah,  the  third 
daughter,  had  exceptional  talent  for  drawing  and  painting, 
especially  of  birds  and  flowers,  and  assisted  Audubon  in  color- 
ing the  illustrations  of  his  famous  book  on  birds.  Lucy,  a 
younger  daughter,  was  skillful  in  drawing  with  crayons. 

The  subsequent  life-story  of  this  family  of  favored  and 
gifted  children  is  of  much  interest  to  us  to-d^y,  but  must  here 
be  briefly  told.  Harriet  Manr^ing,  the  oldest  daughter,  born 
November  11,  1782,  was  an  invalid,  with  an  affection  of  the 
spine.    Her  death,  in  early  girlhood,  December  15,  1798,  at  the 


I  Collections.   Mass.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  XIX,  p.  3S4. 


go 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


age  of  sixteen,  was  the  first  great  grief  that  came  to  the 
Vaughan  family  in  their  new  home  on  the  Kennebec.  WiUiam 
Oliver,  born  November  5,  1783,  became  an  enterprising 
merchant  and  ship-owner,  and  a  public-spirited  and  influential 
citizen.  Through  him,  the  name  and  estate  of  the  Vaughan 
family  have  been  perpetuated  in  Hallowell. 

Miss  Sarah  Vaughan,  born  February  28,  1784,  is  described 
as  "a  lady  of  small  but  graceful  form  and  of  highly  cultivated 
mind."  Like  her  mother,  she  was  most  charitable,  and  greatly 
interested  in  the  care  of  the  poor  and  sick  in  Hallowell.  It  is 
related  that,  on  one  occasion,  she  went  to  visit  a  very  worthy 
woman  who  had  seen  better  days,  but  who  was  then  living  in 
great  destitution.  Miss  Sarah  inquired  what  was  most  needed 
at  that  time,  and  was  somewhat  surprised  when  the  destitute 
womian  replied  that  she  wished  some  one  would  bring  her  a 
French  dictionary  as  she  did  not  wish  "to  lose  her  accent." 

Miss  Sarah  Vaughan  died  March  25,  1847,  while  on  a  visit 
to  Boston,  and  was  buried  under  Trinity  Church. 

Flenry  Vaughan  was  a  young  man  ''of  promising"  talents 
and  manly  figure."  His  engaging  disposition  and  tender 
thoughtfulness  for  his  mother's  feeling,  are  disclosed  in  the  fol- 
lowing letter  which  he  wrote  at  Cambridge  on  the  eve  of 
his  departure  for  a  visit  to  England  in  1801 : 

"You  wished  to  know  how  we  were,  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  you 
were  uneasy  about  me,  for  I  had  only  a  headache,  from  being  roused  up 
at  that  time  of  night,  but  I  was  perfectly  well  for  when  we  got  down  to 
Merrymeeting  bay  I  walked  from  there  to  Bath  without  any  inconven- 
ience though  the  road  went  a  great  way  round  and  it  was  a  very  hot 
day ;  I  walked  there  in  an  hour  and  a  half;  to  convince  you  that  I  had 
not  lost  my  appetite  I  tell  that  every  morning  and  evening  I  had  a 
quart  of  thick  chocolate  and  bread  and  ham  in  proportion  three  times  a 
day  when  the  doctor  allowed  it.  After  hearing  this  I  trust  you  will 
not  make  yourself  uneasy.  We  go  into  town  to-night  and  from  there 
tomorrow  or  next  day  therefore  most  probably  will  not  hear  from  us 
again  on  this  side  of  the  water." 

To  his  father,  Flenry  writes  that  they  are  going  to  Liver- 
pool in  the  ship  Eliza,  "a  new  vessel  that  has  never  been  out 
to  sea."  He  adds  as  a  bit  of  news:  "I  have  seen  Mr.  Wells 
several  times  he  keeps  a  school  in  Boston  he  has  left  off  his 


The   Vaughan  Family 


91 


black  coat."  This  is  evidently  a  reference  to  Mr.  William 
Wells,  previously  a  tutor  in  the  Vaughan  family. 

Henry  Vaughan  had  a  fortunate  passage  on  the  new  ship 
Eliza,  and  returned  in  safety  from  his  voyage  to  England.  A 
brilliant  and  happy  future  was  anticipated  for  this  noble  and 
promising  young  man.  It  is  therefore  sad  to  record  the 
melancholy  and  untimely  fate  that  awaited  him.  Only  a  few 
years  after  his  return  from  London,  he  made  another  trip,  with 
his  elder  brother,  William  Oliver,  on  a  trading  vessel  to  the 
West  Indies,  and  on  the  homeward  voyage  was  washed  over- 
board and  drowned,  April  14,  1806. 

Petty  Vaughan,  born  October  i,  1783,  was  named  for  his 
father's  friend,  Henry  Petty,  Earl  of  Shelburne  and  Prime 
Minister  of  England.  In  his  youth.  Petty  Vaughan  was  sent 
to  London  to  become  associated  in  business  with  his  uncle 
William  Vaughan,  with  whose  interests  he  was  afterwards 
closely  identified.  He  was  a  member  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society,  and  connected  with  prominent  com- 
mercial and  philanthropic  organizations  in  England.  He  died,' 
unmarried,  in  London,  July  30,  1854. 

Lucy  Vaughan,  born  November  4,  1790,  married  Judge 
Williams  Emmons,  and  resided  in  Hallowell  where  she  was 
greatly  beloved  and  respected.    She  died  March  18,  1869. 

Elizabeth  P'rances,  born  June  6,  1793,  married  Samuel 
Grant,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  Gardiner,  and  died  June  12,  1855. 
Her  oldest  daughter,  Ellen  Grant,  married  Hon.  John  Otis  of 
Hallowell;  her  youngest  daughter,  Louisa  Lithgow  Grant, 
married,  November  19,  1850,  Hon.  Alfred  Gilmore.  Their 
children  are:  Alfred,  Frances  Vaughan,  Chnton  Grant,  and 
Louisa  Lithgow. 

Colonel  William  Oliver  Vaughan,  oldest  son  of  Dr. 
Benjamin  Vaughan,  married,  September  14,  1806,  Martha, 
daughter  of  Captain  Thomas  Agry,  and  rq'sided  in  Hallowell 
until  his  death,  August  15,  1825.  He  was  actively  engaged  in 
shipping,  and  in  commercial  and  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
ahvays  manifested  a  sincere  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  town, 
and  exerted  his  utmost  influence  for  its  prosperity.  During 
his  business  career,  he  engaged  extensively  in  the  West  India 


92 


Old  Hallozvell  on  the  Kennebec 


trade,  and  owned  two  brigs  and  the  ship  Superior.  These 
vessels  were  sent  out  laden  with  lumber  and  oak  staves,  and 
brought  back  in  return,  sugar,  molasses,  and  other  commodities 
for  sale  on  the  Kennebec. 

Colonel  Vaughan  also  had  the  care  and  management  of 
Vaughan  farm  with  the  exception  of  the  orchards  and  gardens 
which  were  under  the  charge  of  a  professional  English 
gardener.  He  purchased  the  grist  mill  built  by  his  uncle 
Charles  Vaughan,  and  manufactured  flour  of  a  quality  superior 
to  any  other  made  in  this  section  of  the  country.  He  was  also 
concerned  in  the  importation  of  cattle  of  superior  breeds ;  and, 
in  connection  with  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan,  did  much  for  the 
improvement  of  stock  raised  by  the  farmers  of  the  town  and 
county. 

As  commander  of  a  regiment  of  militia,  in  the  days  when 
the  military  spirit  was  at  its  height,  Colonel  Vaughan  attained 
much  distinction.  He  first  served  as  Captain  of  the  ''South 
Company"  of  Hallowell;  and  in  the  fall  of  1814,  when,  the 
troops  were  all  called  out  to  go  to  Wiscasset  to  prevent  the 
landing  of  the  British  troops  from  the  gunship  La  Hogue,  then 
threatening  the  coast,  his  company  was  pronounced  the  finest 
and  best  drilled  in  the  state.  Its  ranks  were  always  full ;  and 
every  man  had  his  scrupulously  white  belt  crossed  in  Revolu- 
tionary style,  thus  giving  the  company  an  appearance  easily 
distinguishable  from  others  on  the  field.  On  muster  days  the 
company  always  dined  at  the  expense  of  the  captain. 

Colonel  Vaughan's  military  ardor  and  devotion  to  his  men 
continued  to  increase  after  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
regiment.  One  of  our  most  esteemed  local  historians,  who 
remembers  the  famous  old  training  days,  tells  us  that 
Colonel  Vaughan  infused  new  life  into  the  ranks;  that  he 
provided  a  splendid  band  of  music  for  the  regiment,  and  an 
elegant  marquee  for  the  entertainment  of  the  officers  and  their 
guests.  Colonel  Vaughan,  in  character  and  bearing,  was  an 
ideal  exponent  of  the  military  spirit  of  his  time.  Even  after 
his  health  failed  and  he  was  obliged  to  resign  his  command, 
his  interest  in  his  regiment  continued  unabated.  "When  he 
had  become  so  feeble  as  only  to  be  able  to  ride  out  on  pleasant 


The   Vaughan  Family 


93 


days,  on  the  occasion  of  a  regimental  muster  he  was  seen  to 
ride  slowly  the  whole  length  of  the  line  on  Second  street,  as  if 
to  take  a  last  look  upon  his  men.  The  sadness  of  his  counte- 
nance betokened  the  deep  feeling  he  had  at  the  thought  that  he 
was  looking  upon  them  for  the  last  time." 

Colonel  William  Oliver  Vaughan  died  August  15,  1825;  his 
wife,  Martha  Agry  Vaughan,  died  March,  1856.  Of  the  nine 
children  of  Colonel  Vaughan,  six  died  in  early  life.  The  oldest 
daughter,  Harriet  Frances  was  the  first  v/ife  of  Hon.  John 
Otis ;  the  youngest  daughter,  Caroline,  married  Frederic,  son 
of  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner. 

William  Manning  Vaughan,  the  oldest  son  of  Colonel 
William  Oliver  Vaughan,  was  born  at  Hallowell,  June  10,  1807. 
He  fitted  for  college  at  Dr.  Packard's  school  at  Wiscasset,  and 
entered  Bowdoin  with  the  class  of  1827.  In  his  senior  year, 
Mr.  Vaughan  was  obliged  to  leave  college  on  account  of  the 
death  of  his  father;  and  soon  after  went  on  a  three  years' 
cruise,  as  supercargo  on  a  vessel,  to  the  East  and  West  Indies. 
After  returning  to  Hallowell,  he  married  Miss  Anne  Warren, 
daughter  of  Hon.  Ebenezer  Warren,  and  made  his  home  for  a 
time  in  the  cottage  on  the  Vaughan  estate.  He  was,  for  some 
years,  cashier  of  the  Hallowell  Bank;  and  afterwards  was 
connected  with  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner  in  the  flouring  mill 
business.  In  1854,  he  established  himself  in  business  in 
Boston  and  made  a  permanent  home  in  Cambridge.  After 
retiring  from  active  business  life,  Mr.  Vaughan  became 
engaged  in  philanthropic  work,  and  founded  the  Cambridge 
Social  Union  of  which  he  was  the  honored  president  for  many 
years.  Like  his  father  and  grandfather,  Mr.  William  Manning 
Vaughan  was  a  loyal  friend  and  generous  benefactor  of  his 
native  town.  Here,  as  in  the  city  of  his  adoption,  he  was 
honored  and  beloved;  and  on  his  death,  in  1 891,  he  left  many 
to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  true  friend  and  of  a  public-spirited  and 
philanthropic  fellow-citizen. 

Mrs.  William  Manning  Vaughan  was,  in  her  girlhood,  the 
httle  ''Miss  Anne  Warren"  for  whom  the  "splendid  ball"  was 
given  in  the  old  Warren  mansion  in  Hallowell.  Born  and  bred 
in  the  spirit  of  the  old-time  social  life  of  her  native  town,  she 


94 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


was  eminently  fitted  to  become  the  mistress  of  the  Vaughan 
home  in  Cambridge  where,  for  so  many  years,  she  dispensed  a 
most  gracious  hospitaUty. 

The  children  of  William  Manning  and  Anne  Warren 
Vaughan  are  Benjamin  and  William  Warren  Vaughan. 

Mr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  married  Anna  Goodwin,  daughter 
of  Daniel  Raynes  Goodwin,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia.  They  have 
two  children,  Bertha  Hallowell  Vaughan  and  Henry  Goodwin 
Vaughan.  Mr.  William  Warren  Vaughan  married  Ellen 
Twistleton  Parkman,  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel  and  Mary 
D wight  Parkman  of  Boston.  The  children  of  this  marriage 
are  Mary  Eliot  Vaughan  and  Samuel  Vaughan. 

Much  that  has  been  written  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  is 
equally  applicable  to  his  brother  Charles  Vaughan,  Esq.,  in 
whom  we  find  a  typical  English  gentleman,  of  courteous 
address,  extensive  reading,  benevolent  disposition,  and  com- 
mendable public  spirit.  But  while  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  may 
be  especially  characterized  as  a  student  and  philosopher, 
Charles  Vaughan  was  preeminently  a  man  of  action  with 
indomitable  energy  and  large  capacity  for  business  affairs. 
He  came  to  Hallowell  as  early  as  1791,  and  "formed  magnifi- 
cent plans  to  make  that  town,  then  only  a  small  village,  the 
head  of  navigation  and  commerce  for  the  Kennebec." 

No  one  who  has  traced  the  early  growth  and  prosperity  of 
Hallowell  can  fail  to  discern  the  direct  influence  of  Charles 
Vaughan,  and  the  results  of  his  energetic  and  enthusiastic 
business  efforts.  The  very  fact  of  his  coming  to  Hallowell 
gave  a  quick  and  healthy  stimulus  to  the  town.  It  is  stated 
by  Mr.  William  Allen,  the  Norridgewock  historian,  that  ''when 
it  became  known  that  the  Vaughans  were  to  settle  here,  high 
expectations  were  excited  throughout  the  country  even  to  the 
extreme  settlements  on  the  Sandy  river.  .  .  .  Men  of 
influence  from  the  best  towns,  far  and  near,  ship-builders, 
ship-owners,  merchants,  and  traders,  men  of  all  professions, 
skillful  mechanics,  and  industrious  workmen,  came  in  throngs 
to  the  place,  some  to  erect  buildings  and  engage  in  trade  and 


Chari.i:s  Vaughan,  Esq. 


The   Vaughan  Family 


95 


navigation  and  some  to  find  employment.  The  place  increased 
rapidly  in  wealth  and  numbers." 

"Mr.  Vaughan,"  writes  Mr.  Allen,  "built  the  wharf  at  the 
Hook,  and  a  store  and  warehouses,  and  a  brewery,  with  the 
hope  that  beer  might  be  used  mstead  of  ardent  spirits,  and 
improve  the  habits  of  the  intemperate,  but  he  failed  to  accom- 
plish his  object.  He  employed  a  great  number  of  men,  built 
work  shops  and  dwelling  houses  for  the  accommodation  of  his 
workmen,  built  a  house  and  barn  and  put  in  order  a  farm  for 
his  homestead,  a  pleasant  situation  half  a  mile  back,  cleared  up 
a  large  farm  two  miles  back  from  the  river,  stocked  it  with  the 
best  breeds  of  animals,  importing  some  from  England  which 
were  highly  recommended  in  English  publications,  .  .  .  pro- 
cured a  skilful  English  farmer  to  take  the  oversight  of  his 
farm,  Samuel  Stantial,  who  planted  an  orchard  of  choice  fruit, 
made  a  fine  garden,  and  kept  everything  in  the  neatest  order, 
exceeding  anything  I  had  ever  seen  before,  when  I  visited  him 
in  1807.  His  English  cherry  trees  were  just  beginning  to  bear 
and  look  beautifully.  We  saw  a  large  box  of  scions  which  the 
day  before  had  been  received  after  a  two  month's  passage  from 
Liverpool.  .  .  .  Mr.  Vaughan  spared  no  expense  to  promote 
the  agricultural  interests  of  the  country;  did  more  than  any 
other  individual,  before  any  agricultural  society  was  formed  in 
the  state,  to  improve  the  breed  of  stock  and  swine  and  to 
furnish  scions  to  improve  our  orchards.  The  farmers  not  only 
in  Hallowell,  Winthrop,  and  Readfield,  were  greatly  benefitted 
by  his  efforts  but  some  at  a  distance  of  fifty  miles  where  I  have 
seen  the  best  stock  and  swine  and  the  best  apples  to  be  found 
in  the  state,  as  a  result  of  his  efforts."  ' 

Mr.  Vaughan  was  also  actively  and  keenly  interested  in  all 
the  educational  and  religious  movements  of  the  town.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  and  trustees  of  the  Hallo,well  Academy  and 
did  much  to  establish  and  promote  the  success  of  that  institu- 
tion. He  was  a  generous  supporter  of  the  Old  South  church 
and  a  constant  attendant  at  its  services.  It  has  been  fittingly 
said  that  "it  was  his  greatest  desire  to  do  good,  and  never  was 
he  more  happy  than  when  he  conferred  happiness  upon  others." 

I  Col.  Me.  Hist.  Soc.  Vol.  VIII,  p.  278. 


96  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Mr.  Charles  Vaughan  married,  in  1774,  Frances  Western 
Apthorp,  daughter  of  John  Apthorp  of  Boston.  Mrs.  Vaughan 
was  a  very  beautiful  woman  with  rare  qualities  of  mind  and 
character.  In  her  girlhood  she  had  enjoyed  unusual  educational 
and  social  advantages  in  her  home-life  and  in  travel  with  other 
members  of  the  Apthorp  family.  She  was  the  sister  of  Hannah 
Apthorp,  wife  of  Charles  Bulfinch,  the  eminent  architect,  and 
mother  of  Thomas  Bulfinch,  author  of  The  Age  of  Fable.  A 
charming  description  of  the  early  life  of  Frances  and  Hannah 
Apthorp  in  their  Boston  home,  and  of  their  journey  to  Phila- 
delphia to  witness  the  inauguration  of  Washington  is  given 
by  Miss  Ellen  Susan  Bulfinch  in  her  Life  and  Letters  of 
Charles  Btilfinch,  Architect. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Vaughan  resided  for  a  while  in  the 
old  mill  house  near  the  Vaughan  stream.  It  was  there  that 
they  entertained  Talleyrand  and  the  young  Frenchman  who 
was  supposed  to  be  Louis  Philippe,  afterwards  King  of  France. 

A  few  years  later  Mr.  Vaughan  erected  the  house  on  the 
Vaughan  road,  now  the  home  of  the  French  family.  This 
house,  as  originally  built  by  Mr.  Vaughan,  was  an  attractive 
story  and  a  half  cottage,  of  ample  dimensions  and  very 
spacious  on  the  ground  floor.  Although  the  house  has  been 
remodeled,  it  still  retains  its  broad  stone  hearths,  its  old- 
time  m.antle-pieces,  quaint  cup-boards,  and  other  features  of  its 
original  design. 

This  house  was  always  the  abode  of  good  cheer  and  genuine 
hospitality.  The  influence  of  the  refined,  simple,  and  idyllic 
home  life  that  went  on  for  many  years  within  its  walls,  was 
felt  throughout  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  neighbors.  In 
simplicity,  in  courtesy,  in  kindly  cheer,  and  in  the  unaffected 
enjoyment  of  music,  art,  and  literature  as  daily  elements  of 
life,  the  inmates  of  the  Vaughan  home  set  an  example  that 
gave  an  ideal  tone  to  society  in  Hallowell. 

The  children  of  Charles  and  Frances  Apthorp  Vaughan 
were: 

I.    John  Apthorp,  b.  October  13,  1795;  m.  August  22,  1826, 
Harriet  Merrick;  d.  June  5,  1865. 


Mrs.  FrancEvS  Apthorp  Vaughan 


The   Vaughan  Family 


97 


2.  Harriet,  b.  April  15,  1802;  m.  May  18,  1828,  Rev.  Jacob 

Abbott;  d.  September  11,  1843. 

3.  Charles,  b.  November  i,  1804;  m.  July  19,  1832,  Mary 

Susan  Abbot;  d.  February  6,  1878. 

4.  Hannah  Frances,  b.   January  20,  181 2;  m.  1836,  Rev. 

Seth  Sweetser;  d.  May  10,  1855. 

The  Rev.  John  Apthorp  Vaughan,  son  of  Charles  and 
Frances  Apthorp  Vaughan,  was  a  worthy  representative  of  this 
eminent  family.  He  graduated  at  Bowdoin  College  in  181 5, 
and  later  in  life  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity  from 
Columbia  College.  In  his  early  manhood  he  was  the  beloved 
and  revered  teacher  of  the  Female  Academy  in  Hallowell. 
He  subsequently  took  orders  in  the  Episcopal  Church.  On 
his  death  in  Philadelphia  in  1865,  The  Episcopal  Recorder 
closed  a  tribute  to  his  memory  in  these  words :  "To  this  holy 
man  the  Church  of  the  Mediator  owes  a  large  debt  of  gratitude. 
He  was  the  friend,  father,  and  benefactor  of  it.  He  was  a 
generous,  self-denying  soldier  of  the  Cross,  the  first  rector  of 
that  church,  and  much  lamented  at  his  death." 

Mr.  Charles  Vaughan,  the  second  son  of  Charles  and 
Frances  Apthorp  Vaughan,  perpetuated  the  traditions  and 
customs  of  his  father's  family,  and  cherished  through  life 
a  warm  regard  for  the  home  of  his  childhood.  He  was 
one  of  the  earliest  and  most  liberal  benefactors  of  the 
Social  Library,  and  was  interested  in  all  that  promoted  the 
welfare  of  his  native  town.  Pleasant  and  grateful  memories  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Vaughan  will  long  be  preserved  in 
Hallowell. 

The  Vaughan  family  is  now  represented  in  Hallowell  by 
the  two  brothers,  Benjamin  and  William  Warren  Vaughan,  who 
are  the  lineal  descendants  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  and  the 
present  owners  of  the  Vaughan  estate.  During  the  summer 
season  the  families  of  Benjamin  and  William  Vaughan  occupy 
the  old  mansion  house  upon  the  Vaughan  estate,  and  maintain 
an  ideal  hospitality  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  it  was  established 
by  their  ancestors  a  hundred  years  ago. 


98  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Of  the  devoted  attachment  of  the  Vaughan  family  to  the 
old  town  and  of  their  continued  interest  in  its  welfare,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  speak.  There  are  visible  evidences  of  this  in  their 
numerous  and  generous  public  benefactions.  The  library  has 
many  generous  bequests  from  their  hands.  The  granite 
drinking  fountains  at  the  northern  and  southern  ends  of  the 
business  street  are  the  expression  of  their  thoughtful  benefi- 
cence; and  the  massive  granite  bridge  upon  the  Vaughan  road, 
which  was  presented  to  the  city  of  Hallowell,  in  1905,  by 
Benjamin  and  William  Warren  Vaughan  in  remembrance  of 
their  father,  William  Manning  Vaughan,  will  remain  for  untold 
generations  a  monument,  in  enduring  stone,  to  the  loyalty  and 
munificence  of  the  House  of  Vaughan. 


VIII 


JOHN  MERRICK,  ESQ. 

"His  was  a  noble  mind,  a  noble  heart,  and  a  noble  life.  His  faults 
were  few;  his  enemies  none." — D.  R.  Goodwin,  D.  D. 

HE  name  of  John  Merrick  is  closely  associated  with 
that  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  and  of  Charles  Vaughan, 
Esq.  These  first  representatives  of  the  Merrick  and 
Vaughan  families  in  Hallowell  came  from  England  at 
about  the  same  time  and  settled  side  by  side  on  the  banks  of 
the  Kennebec.  Their  families  were  intimately  connected  by 
intermarriage  and  personal  associations.  They  had  many 
important  characteristics  in  common.  Their  essential  prin- 
ciples, their  views  of  life,  and  their  manner  of  living  were 
very  similar;  yet  each  of  the  founders  of  these  families  had  a 
marked  individuality,  and  in  the  character  of  no  one  of  them 
does  this  individuality  stand  out  with  more  prominence  than  in 
that  of  John  Merrick. 

Mr.  Merrick's  contemporaries  all  agree  in  the  assertion 
that  he  was  a  remarkable  man.  He  came  to  Hallowell  in  his 
early  manhood,  and  went  in  and  out  among  our  people,  living 
an  open,  blameless  life,  until  he  reached  the  extreme  and 
honored  age  of  ninety-five  years.  Gifted  in  an  unusual  and 
varied  degree,  and  imbued  with  the  most  lofty  ideals,  he  was 
nevertheless  very  sane  and  practical  in  the  administration  of 
affairs,  and  presents  to  us  the  type  of  an  honest,  judicial,  and 
useful  citizen  whose  influence  constantly  made  for  the  up- 
lifting of  the  community  in  which  he  dwelt.  , 

A  Memoir  of  John  MenHck^  Esq.,  w^ritten  by  D.  R. 
Goodwin,  D.  D.,  Provost  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
most  worthily  portrays  the  life  and  character  of  this  eminent 
early  resident  of  Hallowell;  and  to  this  Memoir,  I  am 
indebted  for  much  of  the  material  included  in  this  sketch. 
The  Merrick  family  was  of  Welch  origin  and  can  be  traced 


100 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


back  to  the  days  of  King  John.  The  name  has  been  spelled  in 
various  ways  from  the  Meuric,  Meyric,  Meric,  or  Merick  of  the 
earlier  generations  to  the  Merrick  of  the  present  day.  One 
of  the  members  of  this  family,  named  Meuric,  was  ''esquire 
to  the  body  of  Henry  VII,  and  captain  of  the  guard  to 
Henry  VIII."  A  grandson  of  this  Meuric,  and  an  ancestor 
of  John  Merrick  of  Hallowell,  was  Sir  Gelly  Meyric,  or  Meric, 
of  Pembroke,  Knight  of  the  Shire  in  the  reign  of  Queen 
Elizabeth. 

Mr.  John  Merrick  was  born  in  London,  August  27,  1766. 
He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Merrick  who  died  in  1767,  leaving 
his  young  wife  with  two  children,  Samuel  and  John.  Mrs. 
Mary  Merrick,  the  widow  of  Samuel  Merrick,  married  Mr. 
William  Roberts  of  Kidderminster,  who  became  a  faithful 
father  to  these  two  boys.  The  elder  brother,  Samuel,  being 
strong  and  active,  was  educated  for  a  merchant;  but  the 
younger  brother,  John,  having  a  more  delicate  constitution, 
was  designed  for  the  ministry.  He  received  a  thorough 
classical  training  during  his  course  of  eight  years  in  the 
Grammar  School  at  Kidderminster,  and  afterwards  studied 
divinity  under  the  celebrated  Dr.  Belsham  by  whose  liberal 
theological  views  John  Merrick  was  strongly  influenced  in  his 
earlier  years. 

Having  completed  his  divinity  course,  Mr.  Merrick 
preached  as  a  licentiate  for  two  years  at  Stamford,  but  was 
never  ordained  to  the  ministry.  From  1794  to  1797,  he  resided 
with  the  family  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  in  the  capacity 
of  tutor;  and  in  1795  he  accompanied  Mrs.  Vaughan  and  her 
children  to  New  England  and  spent  fifteen  months  with  them 
in  Little  Cambridge  before  coming  with  the  family  to 
Hallowell. 

In  1797,  Mr.  Merrick  returned  to  England  where,  in  April, 
1798,  he  married  Rebecca  Vaughan,  daughter  of  Samuel 
Vaughan,  and  sister  of  Dr.  Benjamin  and  Charles  Vaughan, 
and  brought  his  bride  at  once  to  Hallowell.  Here  he  built 
and  occupied  the  spacious  cottage  which  stands  upon  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  sites  in  the  town,  and  which  is  still  known 
as  the  Merrick  Cottage.     At  the   time  of  his  coming  to 


John  Merrick,  Eso. 


John  Merrick i  Esq. 


lOI 


Hallowell,  the  village  was  rapidly  increasing  in  population; 
and  Mr.  Merrick  entered  most  heartily  into  the  spirit  of  the 
place  and  devoted  all  his  energies  to  the  promotion  of  the 
public  welfare.  He  was  especially  interested  in  the  cause  of 
education.  In  1802,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  trustees 
of  the  Hallowell  Academy;  and  for  the  remainder  of  his  long 
life,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  interests  of  this  school.  "He 
exerted  himself  in  enlarging  and  husbanding  the  resources  of 
the  institution,  in  securing  the  best  instruction,  in  aiding  and 
encouraging  the  preceptors,  in  attending  examinations,  and  in 
stimulating  the  intellectual  energies,  and  the  manlier  and  finer 
feelings  of  the  students  by  his  instructive,  exciting,  and  genial 
exhortations."  He  was  made  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  in  1829,  and  continued  in  this  post  until  his  death. 
Mr.  Merrick  was  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  overseers  of 
Bowdoin  College  from  1805  to  1851. 

In  the  affairs  of  the  town,  with  which  he  had  cast  his  lot, 
Mr.  Merrick  showed  himself  a  truly  loyal  and  public-spirited 
citizen.  He  served  ably  and  conscientiously  as  selectman,  as 
surveyor  of  highways,  and  as  overseer  of  the  poor.  He  was 
also  for  some  years  cashier  of  the  Hallowell  Bank.  He  was 
exact  and  honorable  in  all  of  his  business  dealings  and  com- 
manded the  highest  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow 
townsmen. 

In  1 810,  a  project  was  started  for  the  opening  of  a  road 
from  the  Kennebec  to  the  Chaudiere  and  thence  to  Quebec, 
which,  it  was  thought,  would  greatly  increase  the  business  of 
this  region  and  open  an  avenue  from  the  Atlantic  to  Canada. 
This  was  the  dream  that  allured  the  minds  of  all  of  our  early 
settlers;  the  vision  that  dazzled  their  imagination,  aroused 
their  ambition,  and  led  them  to  look  forward  to  a  most  success- 
ful future  for  the  little  town  on  the  Kennebec.  The  plan 
seemed  at  the  time  most  feasible  and  practicable.  On  March 
8,  1 810,  a  board  of  commissioners  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Gore  to  examine  this  route  and  report  upon  its  condition  and 
the  probable  success  of  the  undertaking.  Mr.  John  Merrick 
was  appointed  a  member  of  this  commission. 

Mr.  Merrick  entered  upon  this  work  with  the  energy  and 


102 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


enthusiasm  that  characterized  all  of  his  efforts,  whether  in 
pubUc  or  private  life;  and  the  story  of  his  journey  to  Quebec 
over  the  old  trail  of  the  Abenaki  Indians,  is  one  of  peril,  hard- 
ship, adventure,  and  exciting  interest. 

The  party  consisted  of  the  three  commissioners,  a  sur- 
veyor, an  Indian  guide,  and  several  men  to  carry  the  luggage 
and  provisions.  Mr.  Merrick  also  took  with  him  a  young  man 
from  Hallowell,  named  David  Morgan,  as  a  personal  attendant. 
"When  they ,  reached  the  Canada  line,  the  two  other 
commissioners,  alleging  that  they  had  completed  the  work 
assigned  them  by  the  General  Court,  took  the  surveyor,  the 
assistants,  and  the  provisions  with  them,  and  returned ;  leaving 
Mr.  Merrick,  with  Morgan  and  the  Indian  guide,  to  go  on  to 
Quebec,  assuring  him  that  he  need  take  no  food  with  him  for 
his  return  through  the  wilderness,  as  they  would  deposit  an 
abundant  supply  on  the  way.  Arrived  at  Quebec,  the 
Governor  invited  him  to  dine,  and  ride  with  the  ladies 
to  Montmorenci.  For  a  catastrophe  so  unexpected  he  was 
quite  unprepared,  being  only  in  his  rough  camping  dress, 
fresh  from  the  wood.  So  he  called  on  a  French  house  to  put 
him  in  trim,  suggesting  a  white  shirt,  at  which  Monsieur 
shrugged, — a  collar  and  bosom  were  all  the  case  required."  ' 

"After  a  week  in  Quebec,  business  being  in  train,  the 
three  again  took  to  the  bush.  But,  on  reaching  the  place  of 
the  promised  deposit,  they  found  to  their  consternation  that  no 
provisions  had  been  left  for  them.  ...  As  it  was,  a  few  cakes 
of  portable  soup  and  a  few  beans  were  all  their  store  for  a 
tramp  of  several  days  through  the  wilderness.  The  Indian 
left  soon  after,  refusing  to  touch  a  particle  of  their  scanty 
supply.  'No,  no;  give  me  the  fish-hook;  me  Indian.'  So 
in  consideration  of  his  own  superior  resources  in  difficult 
circumstances,  he  had  pity  for  the  poor  white  man."  ^ 

The  results  of  this  expedition  were  not  such  as  were 
desired  and  ardently  hoped  for  by  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Kennebec  valley.    The  reasons  for  this  are  explained  in  the 


^  Memoir  of  John  Merrick^  Esq.,  pp.  16-17. 
^  Memoir  of  John  Merrick,  Esq.,  p.  18. 


John  Merrick,  Esq. 


103 


following  extract  from  a  document  furnished  by  Mr.  Robert  H. 
Gardiner  to  Professor  Goodwin: 

"My  father  gave  Mr.  Merrick  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
Sir  James  Craig,  Governor  of  Canada,  with  whom  he  had  been 
formerly  acquainted.  The  Governor  received  him  courteously, 
and  highly  approved  the  object;  and,  through  his  influence, 
that  portion  of  the  road  lying  in  Canada  was  completed ;  and 
the  State  of  Massachusetts  had  the  road  made  from  the  forks 
of  the  Kennebec  River  to  the  Canada  line.  A  mail  was 
established  on  the  route,  and  a  custom  house  on  the  boundary. 
The  advantages  expected  from  the  opening  of  this  route  were 
not  realized.  The  road  for  a  long  distance  passed  through  a 
barren  country.  There  was  a  distance  of  forty  miles  with  only 
a  single  house,  and  no  soil  sufficiently  good  to  tempt  any  one 
to  build  a  second.  Few  persons,  either  for  pleasure  or  traffic, 
would  go  over  the  road  where,  in  case  of  accident,  aid  could 
not  be  obtained.  And  the  railroads  which  have  since  been 
constructed  through  Vermont  and  Maine  to  Canada,  have 
given  to  the  Canadians  much  greater  facilities  to  the  ports  on 
the  Atlantic  than  could  be  obtained  by  a  road  through  the 
wilderness."  ^ 

In  his  personal  characteristics,  tastes,  and  accomplishments, 
Mr.  Merrick  was  a  most  remarkable  and  versatile  man.  He 
possessed  a  rare  combination  of  genuine,  practical,  scientific 
ability  with  the  more  esthetic  qualities  of  a  connoisseur  in  all 
matters  literary  and  artistic.  In  the  development  of  his  scien- 
tific impulses  Mr.  Merrick  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
many  branches  of  study.  He  was  an  accurate  mathematician, 
surveyor,  and  navigator.  He  devoted  much  time  to  the  study 
of  astronomy,  and  invented  a  new  practical  method  for  mapping 
out  the  heavens.  He  was  one  of  the  first  ir^  this  country  who 
detected  the  planet  Uranus  with  the  naked  eye.  His  interest 
in  geology  amounted  to  a  passion.  He  prepared  two  lectures 
on  this  subject  which  he  gave  before  the  members  of  the 
famous  old  Hallowell  Lyceum.    He  had  also  a  thorough  knowl- 


^  Memoir  of  John  Merrick,  Esq.,  pp.  15-16. 


104 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


edge  of  anatomy,  and  in  cases  of  necessity  proved  himself  an 
excellent  surgeon.'  With  all  this,  Mr.  Merrick  possessed  the 
most  highly  cultivated  literary  and  musical  tastes.  His  talent 
for  music  had  been  developed  from  his  childhood;  and  his 
musical  gifts  proved  a  great  source  of  pleasure  to  his  friends 
as  well  as  to  himself.  He  "played  the  violincello  with  extra- 
ordinary neatness,  accuracy,  and  depth  of  tone,  and  until  quite 
late  in  life,  he  sang  with  great  sweetness.  His  knowledge  of 
music  was  scientific;  and  for  many  years  he  was  President  of 
the  Handel  society  of  Maine.  In  1817,  in  connection  with  the 
late  Chief  Justice  Mellen,  who  was  Vice-President  of  the 
Society,  he  compiled  a  book  of  sacred  music,  which  was 
published  under  the  title  of  the  '  Hallowell  Collection  of  Sacred 
Music,'  arranged  for  use  in  churches  and  families  and  well 
adapted  for  that  purpose.  It  was  due  mainly  to  his  strenuous 
efforts  and  intelligent  guidance  that  the  choir  of  the  Old  South 
Church  in  Hallowell  became  one  of  the  most  effective  choirs 
in  the  country."  ' 

Mr.  Merrick  was  also  master  of  the  art  of  elocution  in  a 
day  when  good  reading  was  a  rare  accomplishment ;  and  he  did 
much  to  encourage  the  cultivation  of  this  art  among  the  young 
people  within  his  large  circle  of  influence. 

It  was  a  characteristic  of  Mr.  Merrick  that  whatever  he 
did,  he  did  well.  This  applied  to  his  physical  as  well  as  his 
mental  accomplishments.  He  was  "an  inimitable  skater  and 
swimmer,  an  admirable  horseman,  and  an  expert  driver.  If  he 
paddled  a  birch  canoe,  no  Indian  could  do  it  better.  If  he 
danced,  no  Frenchman  could  excel  him." 

Professor  Goodwin  pays  to  Mr.  Merrick  this  personal 
tribute:  "His  notions  of  honesty  were  almost  romantic,  and 
his  sense  of  honor  intensely  delicate.  His  kindness  and 
liberality  were  bounded  only  by  his  means.  .  .  .  His  was  a 
singularly  pure  life.  ...  He  was  a  strikingly  humble  and 
earnest,  a  devout  and  growing  Christian.  .  .  .  None  ever  saw 
him  to  forget  him;  none  ever  became  intimately  acquainted 
with  him  without  respecting  and  loving  him." 


^  Memoir  of  John  Merrick,  Esq.,  p.  25. 


The  Merrick  Cottage.    North  and  South  View 


John  Merrick y  Esq. 


105 


There  are  not  a  few  people  still  living,  among  the  old 
residents  of  Hallowell,  who  remember  Mr.  Merrick;  and  they 
will  all  recognize  this  description  of  this  remarkable  man  as 
perfectly  true  in  letter  and  in  spirit.  I  well  remember  him 
myself,  as  he  appeared  in  our  midst  in  the  days  of  my  own 
childhood.  His  erect,  impressive  figure,  his  long,  gray  hair, 
his  genial  smile,  his  kindly  twinkling  eyes,  and  his  pleasant 
word  for  every  child  remain  vividly  impressed  upon  my 
mind.  Wherever  he  appeared  upon  the  street  he  never 
failed  to  attract  attention  through  his  strong  personality  and 
distinguished  bearing.  The  portrait  of  Mr.  Merrick  painted 
by  C.  L.  Elliott,  in  1856,  a  copy  of  which  accompanies  this 
sketch,  will  always  remain  a  true  representation  of  serene, 
revered,  and  beautiful  old  age. 

Mr.  John  Merrick  was  born  August  27,  1766,  and  died 
October  22,  1862.  His  wife,  Rebecca  Vaughan  Merrick  was 
born  April  26,  1766,  and  died  July  9,  1851.  Their  children 
were : 

1.  Harriet  Sarah,  b.  June  19,  1799;  m.  August  22,  1826,  John 

A.  Vaughan;  d.  January  26,  1872. 

2.  Samuel  Vaughan,  b.  May  4,  1801;  m.  December  25,  1823, 

Sarah  Thomas;  d.  August  18,  1870. 

3.  John,  b.  January  22,  1804;  d.  November  3,  1832. 

4.  Mary,  b.  December  16,  1805;  m.  October  23,  1843,  John  P. 

Flagg;  d.  1880. 

5.  George,  b.  November  i,  1809;  d.  May  7,  1862. 

6.  Thomas  Belsham,  b.  April  24,  1813;  m.  November  7,  1839, 

Elizabeth  M.  White;  d.  January  13,  1902. 

The  children  of  Samuel  Vaughan  and  Sarah  Thomas 
Merrick  were:  Helen  Taylor,  m.  John  Edmund  Cope;  John 
Vaughan,  m.  Mary  S.  Wagner;  William  Henry,  m.  Sarah  Maria 
Otis;  Emily  Houghton;  Lucy  Whitwell;'  Hartley;  Laura 
Town. 

The  children  of  Thomas  Belsham  and  Elizabeth  White 
Merrick  were:  John;  William  Gordon,  m.  Annie  Dwight  Brown; 
Isabella,  m.  George  Sampson;  Elizabeth,  m.  Charles  E. 
Morgan;  Hallowell  V.;  Bertha  V.;  Lleulla,  m.  Walter  Clark. 


io6  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

The  ancestral  residence  of  the  Merrick  family,  erected  by- 
John  Merrick  in  1799,  still  stands  beneath  its  majestic  elms  in 
a  beautiful  location  at  the  southern  end  of  the  town.  It  is  a 
spacious  cottage  built  on  the  model  of  the  best  English  farm- 
houses. 

The  front  door  of  the  house  opens  into  a  long  hall  which  is 
also  used  as  a  library.  Its  walls  are  lined  with  book-shelves 
protected  by  wooden  doors.  Upon  these  shelves  may  still  be 
found  valuable  volumes  that  once  belonged  to  that  scholarly 
book-lover,  Mr.  John  Merrick.  Here  also  is  the  ancestral 
Bible  of  the  Merrick  family,  bearing  the  date  1732,  and  con- 
taining a  bookplate  engraved  with  the  Merrick  coat  of  arms. 
A  unique  feature  of  tlie  house  is  the  curious,  narrow,  winding 
stairway  leading  to  its  quaint,  low-roofed  chambers.  The 
greatest  attraction  of  the  house,  however,  is  the  octagon  room. 
This  delightful,  odd-shaped  apartment  is  rendered  most  inviting 
by  its  old-fashioned  fireplace  and  ancient  furnishings.  From 
its  windows  there  are  glimpses  of  the  river,  and  of  Augusta, 
its  church  towers,  the  State  House  dome,  and  the  hills  beyond. 
This  room,  which  is  of  especial  interest  from  the  rareness  and 
symmetry  of  its  architectural  style,  was,  at  the  time  it  was  built, 
the  only  room  of  its  kind  in  this  locality;  but  a  beautiful, 
finely  proportioned  room  of  a  similar  design  has,  in  recent 
years,  been  added  to  the  Vaughan  mansion  in  Hallowell. 

The  Merrick  house  passed  at  one  time  out  of  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Merrick  family,  and  was  owned  by  Captain  Swanton 
and  afterwards  by  Governor  Bodwell.  It  has  now,  happily, 
been  purchased  by  Henry  Vaughan,  Esq.,  the  son  of  Benjamin 
Vaughan,  and  a  lineal  descendant  through  his  maternal  line, 
from  Samuel  Merrick,  the  brother  of  Mr.  John  Merrick.  Mr. 
Vaughan  has  restored  the  house  as  nearly  as  possible  to  its 
original  condition,  the  long  f)iazza  on  the  east  side  being  now 
the  only  modern  innovation.  Such  a  house,  with  its  many 
hallowed  associations,  is  a  rare  and  valuable  possession,  not 
only  to  its  owner,  but  to  the  town  that  claims  it  among  the 
oldest  and  most  interesting  of  its  ancient  dwellings. 


Henry  Goodwin  Vaughan,  Esq. 


IX 


REPRESENTATIVE  FAMILIES 

"No  town  in  Maine  could  boast  a  more  select  and  charming 
circle." — Hon.  John  H.  Sheppard. 

i^^MONG  the  men  who  were  prominent  and  influential  in 
^\  Hallowell  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
/"^L  was  Hon.  Nathaniel  Dummer.  At  the  age  of  thirty- 
four,  in  the  prime  of  his  young  manhood,  he  came 
from  Newburyport,  with  his  wife  and  family,  to  make  his 
home  on  the  shores  of  the  Kennebec.  It  is  at  once  apparent 
that  Nathaniel  Dummer  possessed  those  mental  and  moral 
qualities  which  enabled  him  to  take  a  dominant  part  in  all  the 
affairs  of  the  town  and  state.  We  find  his  name  associated 
with  all  the  early  movements  for  the  public  good.  He 
appears  in  office  as  the  first  postmaster  of  the  Hook,  as 
moderator  of  the  town  meetings,  and  as  one  of  the  most 
efficient  trustees  of  the  Hallowell  Academy.  The  part 
which  he  took  in  the  broader  field  of  legislative  and  judicial 
life  is  told  in  a  tribute  to  his  memory  penned  by  one  of 
the  ablest  of  his  contemporaries,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Cheever, 
who  writes  as  follows: 

"Judge  Dummer  was  born  in  Byfield,  March  9,  1755.  He 
was  educated  at  Dummer  Academy.  At  an  early  age  he 
engaged  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  having  been  appointed 
a  commissioner  of  prisoners,  he  was  stationed  at  Providence, 
R.  I.,  where  he  married  Mary  Kilton,  a  widow,  with  one 
daughter,  Sarah,  now  Mrs.  John  O.  Page,  of  this  town.  In 
1789,  he  came  to  Hallowell  and  contributed  with  others  to 
raise  it  from  its  infancy  to  its  present  flourishing  condition. 
Endowed  by  nature  with  strong  mental  powers,  they  were 
displayed  in  a  variety  of  public  offices  which  he  sustained  with 
honor  to  himself  and  to  the  general  advantage  and  satisfaction. 
He  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  member  of  the  legislature,  as  a 


io8  Old  Hallow  ell  on  the  Kennebec 

Representative  of  the  town  and  Senator  for  the  county,  and 
always  took  an  active  and  conspicuous  part  in  the  concerns  of 
the  State,  particularly  of  this  district.  No  one  was  more 
sincerely  and  disinterestedly  engaged  in  the  interests  of  his 
constituents,  and  in  no  instance  was  their  confidence  misplaced. 
In  1809,  he  was  elected  by  the  legislature  into  the  Executive 
Council  of  the  Commonwealth,  of  which  he  was  an  active 
and  efficient  member.  In  1799,  when  the  county  was  divided 
from  Lincoln,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  justices  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas,  which  office  he  filled  until  its  abolition 
in  1811. 

"As  a  legislator,  active  magistrate,  and  judge,  he  was 
distinguished  by  an  acuteness,  penetration,  and  comprehensive- 
ness of  mind;  an  intuitive  sagacity  which  procured  him  a 
reputation  and  position  which  few  with  a  long  life  of  labor  and 
study  have  obtained,  and  none  without  the  most  spotless 
integrity;  and  above  all  he  possessed  a  practical  good  sense. 
On  commercial  and  political  subjects  his  information  was 
extensive  and  his  views  enlarged.  He  was  ever  a  firm  and 
undeviating  supporter  of  the  Washington  Policy.  .  .  . 
Engaged  as  he  had  been  in  political  affairs,  and  zealous  in 
what  he  believed  the  cause  of  truth,  his  warmest  political 
opponents  never  doubted  his  honesty  and  purity  of  intentions. 
Many  sought  his  advice  and  direction  in  difficulties,  and  never 
sought  in  vain;  for  they  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  his 
judgment  and  not  less  in  his  rectitude.  His  activity  of 
mind,  his  public  spirit,  and  industrious  habits,  were  con- 
spicuous traits  of  his  character." 

Nathaniel  Dummer  was  the  son  of  Richard  and  Judith 
Dummer  of  Newbury,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Richard 
Dummer,  Esq.,  who  emigrated  from  England  to  this  country  in 
1633.  Nathaniel  Dummer  married  August  i,  1799,  Mrs.  Mary 
(Owen)  Kilton  (or  Kelton),  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 
Their  children  were:  Joseph  Owen,  b.  March  5,  1780;  m. 
Judith  G.  Dummer,  daughter  of  Richard  Dummer;  Judith 
Greenleaf,  b.  March  5,  1780,  d.  March  19,  1783;  Gorham,  b. 
September  27,  1782,  m.  Sarah  Abbott  of  Concord;  Maria,  b. 


Mrs.  Mary  Kilton  Dummer 

Judge  Nathaniei.  Dummer 


Dummer 


109 


February  15,  1787,  m.  September  3,  181 1,  Jeremiah  Perley  of 
HallowelL 

The  marriage  of  Judge  Dummer  and  Mrs.  Mary  Kilton 
was  preceded  by  a  romantic  courtship,  the  glamour  of  which 
still  lingers  about  the  story  of  their  lives.  During  the  war  of 
the  Revolution,  Nathaniel  Dummer,  then  a  young  lieutenant 
in  the  Continental  army,  was  stationed  at  Providence,  Rhode 
Island.  One  day  a  pretty  little  seven-year  old  girl,  attracted 
by  the  fascinating  pomp  and  circumstance  of  military  life, 
strayed  into  the  soldiers'  camp.  The  child  had  a  delectable 
half-eaten  doughnut  in  her  hand.  The  young  officer  was 
hungry.  Visions  of  his  childhood's  home  in  old  Newbury, 
and  of  the  crisp,  brown  dainties  from  his  mother's  frying-pan 
flitted  through  his  brain. 

''Come  here,  little  girl,"  said  he.  "Where  did  you  get 
that  doughnut.?" 

"My  mother  made  it,"  replied  the  child. 

"Take  me  to  her!"  exclaimed  the  young  officer  in  a 
dramatic  tone.    "Mayhap  she  will  make  me  a  doughnut  also!" 

When  the  pretty  young  widow.  Mistress  Mary  Kilton, 
looked  out  from  her  cottage  window  a  few  minutes  later,  she 
saw  a  handsome  young  soldier  coming  to  the  house  leading 
her  little  daughter  Sally  by  the  hand.  The  negotiations  for 
the  doughnuts  were  successful ;  and  the  young  widow  earned 
many  sixpences  during  the  next  few  weeks  by  the  results  of 
her  culinary  art.  This  new  source  of  income  proved,  for  the 
time,  very  acceptable  to  Mrs.  Kilton,  who,  by  the  death  of  her 
patriotic  young  husband  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  had  been 
left  without  adequate  means  of  support. 

Four  years  of  widowhood  had  passed;  but  Mary  Kilton 
was  still  young  and  beautiful,  with  a  tenderer  grace  than  that 
of  girlhood.  The  lieutenant's  heart  was  deeply  touched.  The 
quest  of  the  doughnut  soon  changed  to  the  wooing  of  a  bride; 
and  Lieutenant  Nathaniel  Dummer  and  Mary  Kilton  were 
married,  in  Providence,  August  i,  1779.  The  young  patriot 
remained  in  his  country's  service  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  1789,  he  removed  to  Hallowell  with  his  wife  and  five 
children,  including  the  little  Sally  whom  he  loved  as  his  own 


no 


Old  Hallo  we II  on  the  Ke7inebec 


daughter.  We  have  learned  of  the  success  and  honor  that  here 
crowned  his  hfe.  We  also  know  of  the  charm  and  happiness 
of  the  Dummer  home,  and  of  its  refining  and  helpful  influence 
in  the  social  life  of  the  rapidly  growing  village  at  the  Hook. 
In  this  home  little  Sally  Kilton  grew  into  beautiful  young 
womanhood  and  married  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  distin- 
guished residents  of  old  Hallowell,  Mr.  John  Odlin  Page. 

Judge  Dummer  died  in  Hallowell,  September  15,  1815; 
and  "seldom,"  as  the  old  records  tell  us,  "has  a  death  in  this 
part  of  the  country  produced  a  more  general  sympathy."  His 
widow,  who  survived  him  for  a  number  of  years,  was  much 
beloved  and  respected  in  the  community. 

A  great-granddaughter  of  Mrs.  Mary  Kilton  Dummer, 
Miss  Sophia  B.  Oilman,  still  has  in  her  possession  a  beautiful 
ring  which  was  once  worn  upon  the  hand  of  her  revered 
ancestress  a  century  ago.  This  ring  is  not  only  a  treasured 
souvenir  of  olden  days,  but  a  visible  sign  of  the  verity  of  this 
old  romance  of  the  Revolution. 


Captain  John  Sheppard,  an  English  gentleman  of  good  birth 
and  breeding,  was  born  at  Cirencester,  an  ancient  walled  town 
in  Gloucestershire,  England,  where  his  ancestors  had  lived  for 
many  generations.  Having  received  an  excellent  education,  he 
entered  the  counting-room  of  a  London  merchant  and  prepared 
himself  for  mercantile  pursuits.  In  his  early  manhood,  he 
married  Sarah  Collier  of  London,  a  beautiful  young  English 
girl  who  had  been  educated  in  a  French  convent  and  who  was 
especially  remarkable  for  her  musical  talent.  This  interesting 
couple,  allured  by  the  favorable  commercial  prospects  of  the 
time  in  this  new  country,  emigrated  with  their  two  children  to 
Philadelphia,  in  1791,  and  thence  to  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec. 

One  of  the  two  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sheppard  was  the 
bright  and  gifted  boy,  born  March  17,  1789,  afterwards  well 
and  widely  known  as  the  Hon.  John  H.  Sheppard.  To  his 
writings  we  are  indebted  for  many  interesting  reminiscences  of 
Hallowell  and  especially  for  accurate  information  in  regard  to 


Sheppard 


III 


the  members  of  the  Sheppard  family  and  their  home  life  in 
Hallowell. 

"For  several  years,"  writes  Hon.  John  H.  Sheppard,  *'my 
father  was  engaged  in  trade  at  the  'Hook,'  so  called  from  a 
peculiar  bend  in  the  river  about  half  a  mile  below  the  chief 
settlement  where  our  old  red  house  stood  on  a  high  bank, 
facing  a  long  stretch  of  water.  .  .  .  This  old  red  house — 
where  the  margin  of  the  parlor  fire-place  was  once  adorned  with 
Dutch  porcelain  tiles,  covered  with  scripture  paintings,  and 
some  of  whose  apartments  were  said  to  be  haunted — has  all 
disappeared ;  and  the  romance  of  a  habitation,  once  gladdened 
by  so  many  genial  visitors,  has  vanished  away." 

In  this  old  home  presided  over  by  a  mother  who  has  been 
described  by  one  who  knew  her  as  "a  woman  of  elegant 
symmetry  and  beauty,"  and  who  had  a  ''voice  of  music,"  the 
children  of  the  Sheppard  family  were  reared.  The  two  oldest 
children,  John  Hannibal,  and  Harriet  Helen,  were  born  in 
England;  the  five  younger  children,  George  Albert,  Frances, 
Ann  Augusta,  Louisa,  and  William,  were  born  in  Hallowell. 

The  father,  as  well  as  the  mother,  took  great  pains  with 
the  education  of  these  children.  He  purchased  for  his  eldest  son 
a  library  containing  Goldsmith's  histories  of  Greece,  Rome, 
and  England,  besides  many  other  books,  including  an  edition  of 
Plutarch's  lives  in  seven  volumes  illustrated  with  fine  plates. 
This  library  in  itself  must  have  been  of  inestimable  advantage 
to  all  the  children  of  the  Sheppard  family.  "My  father," 
writes  this  elder  son,  "also  taught  me  to  commit  to  memory  by 
making  me  learn  every  day  as  a  task  a  number  of  lines  of 
Goldsmith's  Deserted  Village,  his  Traveller,  and  other  simple 
but  beautiful  pieces  of  poetry.  He  was  himself  an  uncommonly 
fine  reader;  and  it  seems  to  me  that  even  now  I  can  see  his 
noble  form  as  he  paced  the  parlor  floor, — his  eye  which  was 
dark,  kindling  with  animation  beneath  a  hign,  white  forehead, 
— holding  a  book  in  his  hand,  and  reciting  to  me  some  of  the 
exquisite  lines  of  Goldsmith,  while  I  held  his  hand,  following 
with  timid  steps  and  repeating  after  him." 

Other  kindly  and  elevating  influences  entered  into  the 
home  life  of  the  Sheppard  family.    The  Sheppards  had  many 


112 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


warm  friends  in  the  cultured  social  circle  of  Kennebec  valley. 
"Among  them,"  writes  Mr.  John  H.  Sheppard,  ''was  that 
finished,  classic  scholar  and  man  of  genius,  the  late  Rev.  John 
S.  C.  Gardiner,  D.  D.,  rector  of  Trinity  Church,  under  whose 
care  I  was  at  college,  and  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  a  love  of 
choice  reading  and  literature  which  have  a  perennial  consolation 
and  support  in  all  changes  of  fortune.  The  Hon.  Benjamin 
Vaughan,  LL.  D.,  who  settled  in  Hallowell  soon  after  my 
father,  was  another  friend;  and  the  friendship  of  such  a  man  to 
him  and  his  family,  and  particularly  to  myself,  is  among  the 
halcyon  recollections  of  my  life." 

After  living  for  some  years  in  Hallowell,  Mr.  John 
Sheppard  met  with  financial  reverses,  and  closing  his  business, 
went  out  as  supercargo  on  a  ship  to  the  East  Indies.  During 
this  adventurous  voyage,  of  four  years,  Mr.  Sheppard  acquired 
a  knowledge  of  ''navigation  and  linear  calculation"  that 
enabled  him  to  take  command  of  a  vessel  himself.  On  his 
return  from  a  second  voyage  to  the  East  Indies,  he  spent  one 
winter  with  his  family  in  Hallowell,  and  then  assumed  command 
of  a  brig  belonging  to  William  O.  Vaughan,  which  was  loaded 
with  lumber  for  the  Barbadoes.  He  reached  the  destined  port 
in  safety;  but  the  homeward  voyage  proved  most  disastrous.  The 
vessel  was  driven  on  the  reefs  between  the  Islands  of  Demerara 
and  Guadaloupe,  and  afterwards  encountered  a  terrible  gale, 
but  finally  made  Point  Petre  in  safety.  Here,  Captain 
Sheppard  was  taken  with  yellow  fever  and  died  after  an  illness 
of  twelve  days. 

Captain  Sheppard  was  buried  at  Point  Petre  with  masonic 
honors,  "every  respect  being  paid  to  his  memory  by  strangers;" 
but  it  is  sad  to  record  that  this  gallant  old-time  gentleman  who 
was  "always  hopeful"  and  whom  "no  misfortune  could  break 
down,"  should  die  in  a  foreign  land,  far  from  his  home  and 
friends,  at  the  early  age  of  forty  years. 

The  death  of  Captain  Sheppard  was  a  severe  blow  to  his 
family.  His  oldest  son,  a  brilliant  and  promising  young  man 
who  had  fitted  for  college  at  the  Hallowell  Academy,  and 
entered  upon  his  course  of  study  at  Harvard,  was  obliged 
to  leave  college  and  aid  in  the  support  of  the  family.  He 


Sheppard 


113 


entered  the  law  office  of  Wilde  and  Bond  in  Hallowell,  and  in 
course  of  time  was  appointed  Register  of  Probate  for  Lincoln 
County,  His  beautiful  and  accomplished  mother  taught  school 
and  gave  music  lessons  in  Hallowell  and  afterwards  in  Portland 
under  the  patronage  of  Judge  Mellen.  Her  own  daughters 
received  under  her  supervision  a  most  excellent  education. 
She  died  in  181 8,  just  as  the  son,  as  he  sadly  records,  "had  the 
means  to  make  her  more  happy."  Her  memory  is  honored 
"for  the  noble  spirit  with  which  she  bore  her  sorrows  and 
brought  up  her  large  family." 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Sheppard  had  been  preceded  by  that  of 
two  of  her  daughters,  Frances  and  Helen.  The  second  son, 
George  Albert,  became  a  merchant  of  Calcutta  and  married 
the  daughter  of  a  director  of  the  East  India  company.  Ann 
Augusta  married  Dr.  Philip  E.  Theobald  of  Wiscasset.  Louisa, 
born  1806,  married  Major  Samuel  Page  of  Wiscasset,  and  died 
October  3,  1833.  William  W.,  the  youngest  child,  died  of 
cholera  on  the  Mississippi,  in  1834. 

Hon.  John  Hannibal  Sheppard,  married  first:  Helen, 
daughter  of  Abiel  Wood  of  Wiscasset;  second:  Mrs.  Orissa  B. 
Forster,  daughter  of  Rev.  Ezra  Wilmarth,  of  Georgetown, 
Massachusetts.  The  children  of  the  first  marriage  were  one 
daughter,  Helen  Wood,  who  married  Dr.  Stephen  B.  Sewall, 
and  two  sons,  John  Hannibal  and  Abiel  Wood,  both  of  whom 
died  unmarried. 

The  memory  of  the  life  and  work  of  Hon.  John  H, 
Sheppard  is  preserved  in  the  record  of  his  professional  career 
and  in  his  numerous  literary  works.  Mr.  Sheppard  received 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Bowdoin  in  1820;  and  was  one  of  the 
overseers  of  that  college  from  1 831  to  1852.  In  1867,  Harvard 
College  gave  him  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  thus  restoring 
to  him  his  place  in  his  class;  and,  in  1871,  he/  was  honored  by 
the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  Harvard. 

Personally,  Mr.  Sheppard  "was  of  medium  size,  with  a  full 
chest  and  erect  carriage.  His  hair  was  dark  brown  streaked 
with  gray,  and  he  had  keen  sparkling  brown  eyes.  ...  His 
presence  was  that  of  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  and  this 
idea  was  fully  expressed  in  his  conversation  and  manner.  He 


114 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


was  one  of  the  last  specimens  of  that  courtliness  which  was 
characteristic  of  the  educated  class  in  our  colonial  days."  ' 

But  although  the  name  of  Sheppard  has  become  extinct  in 
our  local  records,  the  family  has  been  represented  during  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century  in  Hallowell  by  the  descendants  of 
John  Sheppard. 

For  twenty  years,  Mrs.  Helen  Page  Stinson,  the  grand- 
daughter of  John  Sheppard  resided  in  Hallowell.  She  was  a 
woman  of  rare  charms  of  mind  and  character,  and  a  worthy 
descendant  of  her  fair  and  gifted  ancestress,  Sarah  Collier 
Sheppard.  The  family  is  now  represented  by  Miss  Clara 
Stinson,  and  Mr.  Harry  Stinson,  children  of  David  G.  and 
Helen  Page  Stinson,  and  great-grandchildren  of  John  Sheppard, 
the  founder  of  the  Sheppard  family  in  Hallowell. 

The  oldest  although  not  the  earliest  representative  of  the 
Page  family  in  Hallowell  was  Dr.  Benjamin  Page  who  was 
born  in  Kensington,  New  Hampshire,  in  1746.  In  his  native 
state.  Dr.  Page  was  eminent  in  his  profession,  and  was  also 
well  known  as  a  patriotic  citizen.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
New  Hampshire  legislature,  and  served  as  surgeon  in  the 
Revolutionary  army  from  1777  to  1781.  In  1800,  he  removed 
to  Hallowell  where  his  sons  Dr.  Benjamin  Page,  Jr.,  and  John 
Odlin  Page  had  previously  located.  Dr.  Benjamin  Page,  Sr., 
was  a  typical  representative  of  the  old  school  of  physicians. 
His  manners  were  courtly;  his  mind  was  active  and  intelligent; 
and  he  commanded  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
townsmen  for  his  usefulness  as  a  physician  and  his  excellence 
as  a  man.  He  died  in  Hallowell,  October  28,  1824,  "with  a 
firm  belief  in  the  Christian  religion  and  hope  of  future 
happiness." 

Dr.  Benjamin  Page,  Sr.,  married  Abigail  Odlin  who  was 
born  May  28,  1748.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Deacon  John 
Odlin  of  Exeter,  New  Hampshire,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of 
John  Odlin,  an  early  settler  of  Boston  and  one  of  the  original 


I  New-England  Historical  and  Genealogical  Register.    XX XVII:  344. 


Page 


owners  of  part  of  the  land  now  included  in  Boston  Common. 
Abigail  Odlin  was  also  descended,  through  her  maternal  grand- 
mother, Elizabeth  Woodbridge,  from  Rev.  John  Woodbridge 
of  Stanton,  England,  and  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert 
Parker,  the  eminent  English  non-conformist  author  and  divine. 
The  Pages  also  trace  their  ancestry  through  one  of  their 
maternal  lines  to  Mercy,  daughter  of  Governor  Dudley,  an 
adventurous  gentlemen  descended  from  the  Barons  of  Dudley 
of  Staffordshire,  England,  and  at  one  time  a  captain  in  the 
army  of  Queen  Elizabeth.^  Dr.  Benjamin  Page  himself, 
according  to  family  tradition,  was  fourth  in  descent  from  Sir 
Francis  Page  of  Great  Britain.  The  records  thus  show  that 
some  of  the  best  blood  in  the  colonies  flowed  in  the  veins  of 
the  children  of  Dr.  Benjamin  and  Abigail  Odlin  Page. 

These  children  were  Benjamin,  b.  April  12, 1769,  d.  January 
25,  1824;  John  Odlin,  b.  March  26,  1771,  d.  in  London,  181 1; 
Alice,  b.  1774,  d.  1863;  Abigail,  b.  June  17,  1776,  d.  1778; 
William  Henry,  b.  July  9,  1779;  Samuel,  b.  September  11, 
1781;  Dudley  Woodbridge,  b.  October  4,  1783;  Lucretia  Flagg, 
b.  February  12,  1785;  Rufus  King,  b.  March  13,  1787;  and 
Caroline,  b.  December  12,  1789. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Page,  Jr.,  b.  April  12,  1769,  came  to 
Hallowell  in  1791,  among  the  earliest  of  our  eminent  settlers, 
and  so  endeared  himself  to  the  hearts  of  the  people  that  he  was 
always  called  "the  beloved  Physician."  Dr.  Page  was  educated 
at  the  old  and  still  famous  academy  at  Exeter,  New  Hampshire, 
and  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Kittridge,  a  distinguished 
gentleman  of  extensive  practice  in  Andover,  Massachusetts. 
His  professional  career,  which  began  in  Hallowell  in  1791, 
continued  with  ever  increasing  success  for  more  than  half  a 
century.  He  was  "a  man  of  large  stature,  good  form,  and  of  a 
mild  and  benignant  countenance.  He  possessed  the  qualities 
of  a  true  gentleman,  suavity  and  benevolence  of  disposition,  a 
nice  perception  of  the  proprieties  of  social  life,  and  a  spirit  of 
deference  to  the  feelings  and  rights  of  others."  It  has  been 
said  of  him  that  ''his  advantages  of  professional  education  were 


^  New-England  Genealogical  and  Historical  Regist  r,  x  :  134. 


Ii6  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

not  equal  to  those  of  the  present  day,  but  the  benefit  he  derived 
from  a  free  access  to  the  medical  library  of  the  late  Mr. 
Benjamin  Vaughan,  and  an  intimate  intercourse  with  this 
gentleman  who  kept  abreast  with  all  the  discoveries  and 
improvements  in  the  science  of  medicine,  more  than  counter- 
balanced the  defect  in  Dr.  Page's  early  education.  Possessing 
naturally  a  strong  mind,  whose  powers  were  happily  adjusted, 
Dr.  Page  was  able  to  make  all  the  sources  of  knowledge  and 
means  of  improvement  which  lay  in  his  path,  subservient  to  his 
use.  The  distinguishing  trait  of  his  mind  was  judgment,  which 
conduces  more  than  any  other  to  distinction  in  the  medical 
profession." 

In  1 814,  when  the  "spotted  fever"  raged  so  fatally  in  New 
England,  Dr.  Page  discovered  and  put  in  practice  a  course  of 
treatment  which  rendered  the  disease  comparatively  harmless 
in  Hallowell.  One  of  the  ministers  of  that  day  testifies  that 
he  attended  funerals  almost  daily  in  adjoining  towns,  while 
Dr.  Page's  patients  almost  all  survived.  By  this  success.  Dr. 
Page  justly  attained  much  celebrity;  and  Bowdoin  College 
was  proud  to  confer  upon  him  the  honorary  title  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine.  To  the  end  of  his  life.  Dr.  Page  continued  to  be 
*'not  only  the  sick  man's  doctor,  but  the  sick  man's  friend." 
He  died  January  25,  1824,  leaving  behind  him  an  enviable 
reputation  as  physician,  friend,  and  Christian  citizen. 

The  wife  and  devoted  companion  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Page 
was  Abigail  Cutler,  born  in  Newburyport,  Massachusetts. 
Miss  Cutler  in  her  youth  was  considered  a  great  belle  and 
beauty  in  the  town  of  her  birth,  and  had  in  her  train  of 
admirers  such  gifted  and  gallant  youths  as  John  Quincy  Adams 
and  Rufus  King;  but  she  bestowed  her  hand  upon  Benjamin 
Page  and  came  to  make  a  home  with  him  in  the  little  hamlet  at 
Hallowell  Hook  just  as  the  village  was  beginning  to  emerge 
from  its  obscurity.  Mrs.  Page  possessed  the  qualities  of  an 
ideal  wife  and  helpmate  for  such  a  man  as  Dr.  Benjamin  Page; 
and  their  long  life  together  was  one  of  great  happiness  and 
usefulness.  At  the  time  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Page,  the  following 
tribute  was  paid  to  her  memory: 

**Mrs.  Page  retained  her  youthful  beauty  and  elasticity  at 


Dr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Page 


Page 


117 


the  age  of  fourscore,  and  through  her  long  and  happy  life  was 
a  model  mother,  sister,  wife,  and  daughter.  Uncommonly- 
graceful  and  winning  in  her  manners,  with  a  natural  combination 
of  sweetness  of  temper  and  goodness  of  heart,  she  was  beloved 
and  respected  by  all  who  knew  her,  and  was  the  ornament  of 
every  circle  in  which  she  moved.  She  was  the  idol  of  her  chil- 
dren, upon  whom  this  stroke  of  Providence  will  fall  most  heavily ; 
while  her  numerous  friends  and  acquaintances  will  long  revere 
her  memory  and  lament  her  loss.  From  the  same  earthly 
mansion  in  which  she  dwelt,  in  the  bosom  of  her  family,  for 
more  than  half  a  century,  her  gentle  spirit  took  its  flight,  and 
now  reposes,  we  trust,  a  spirit  of  goodness  in  the  bosom  of  its 
God,  in  those  happy  mansions  above,  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal  in  the  heavens." 

The  children  of  Dr.  Benjamin  and  Mrs.  Abigail  Cutler 
Page  were:  Frederick  Benjamin,  b.  July  5,  1798;  Julia  Ann,  b. 
April  6,  1800;  Harriet,  b.  September  20,  1802;  Fraziette,  b. 
October  8,  1804;  William  Cutler,  b.  November  16,  1806. 

Major  John  Odlin  Page,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Abigail  Odlin 
Page,  was  born  at  Exeter,  New  Hampshire,  March  22,  1772. 
He  came  to  Hallowell  in  1790,  and  married  Sarah  Kelton, 
daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Kelton.  Their  children  were: 
Emeline,  born  December  12,  1802;  John  Odlin,  born  February 
II,  1806;  Louisa,  born  April  16,  1809. 

Major  Page  was  distinguished  for  his  elegance  of  person, 
urbanity  of  manner,  decision  of  character,  ardent  philanthropy, 
and  love  of  liberty.  He  was  engaged  in  the  importation  of 
drugs,  medicines,  and  other  merchandise  from  England,  and 
amassed  a  large  fortune  for  the  times  in  which  he  lived.  In 
1 810,  he  went  to  Europe  and  was  the  bearer  of  American 
despatches  from  Paris  to  London  in  1811.  I^e  died  in  London 
in  that  year,  and  was  buried  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Saint 
Michael's. 

Rufus  King  Page,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Abigail  Odlin 
Page,  was  born  in  Exeter,  New  Hampshire,  March  13,  1787. 


Il8  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

He  married  Caroline,  daughter  of  General  Hull  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  Their  children  were:  Rufus  King,  John  Odlin,  and 
Sarah.  Mrs.  Caroline  Page  died  August  22,  1824.  Mr.  Rufus 
K.  Page  married,  March  i,  1827,  Martha,  daughter  of  Colonel 
Samuel  Howard.  Their  children  were:  Lucretia,  Frank,  and 
Henry. 

Mr.  Rufus  K.  Page  possessed  the  unusual  business  abiUty 
and  executive  force  that  was  characteristic  of  his  family.  He 
engaged  largely  in  ship-building  on  the  Kennebec,  and  did 
much  to  develop  this  profitable  industry  in  Hallowell.  When 
steamboats  were  introduced,  Rufus  K.  Page  and  Cornelius 
Vanderbilt  were  joint  owners  of  the  first  line  of  steamers 
between  Boston  and  the  Kennebec.  Mr.  Page  afterwards 
established  a  line  of  steamers  running  to  San  Francisco  and 
other  distant  ports.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  the  Bangor^  the 
first  United  States  steamer  to  enter  the  Black  Sea.  The  New 
York  Journal  of  Commerce  (1855)  states  that  the  steamer 
Bangor  of  Hallowell,  Maine,  sailed  from  this  country  under 
command  of  Captain  Dunn,  with  the  intention  of  being  engaged 
in  towing  near  Constantinople,  but  was  purchased  by  the 
Turkish  government,  in  1812,  and  used  as  a  hospital  ship  on 
the  Black  Sea.  One  of  the  passengers  on  this  steamer  on  its 
first  voyage  to  Constantinople,  was  Mr.  Rufus  K.  Page,  Jr., 
who  was,  for  a  number  of  years.  Consul  at  Jerusalem  and 
afterwards  at  Port  Said. 

Mr.  Rufus  K.  Page,  Sr.,  remained  throughout  his  life 
closely  and  actively  identified  with  the  interests  of  Hallowell ; 
and  he  had  the  honor  of  being  elected  its  first  mayor  when  the 
town  became  a  city  in  1852.  He  died  February  6,  1870,  aged 
eighty-three  years. 

Nathaniel  Cheever  was  one  of  the  early  publishers  and 
book-sellers  of  Hallowell,  and  the  first  editor  of  the  American 
Advocate.  He  married  Sarah  Barrell  of  York.  Their  children 
were:  Nathaniel,  b.  1805;  George  Barrell,  b.  1807;  Sarah 
Barrell,  b.  1809;  Elizabeth  Bancroft,  b.  181 2;  Henry  Theodore, 
b.  1814;    Nathaniel,   b.    1816;    Charlotte   Barrell,   b.  1818. 


Cheever 


119 


Nathaniel  Cheever  died  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  March  5,  1819, 
in  the  prime  of  his  manhood,  at  the  age  of  forty-one  years. 
His  widow,  *'a  lady  of  culture  and  a  woman  of  unusual  strength 
of  mind  and  active  piety,"  is  said  to  have  been  "fully  equal  to 
the  task  of  bringing  up  her  family  of  seven  children."  Two  of 
these  children,  George  B.  and  Henry  T.  Cheever,  attained 
unusual  celebrity. 

George  Cheever  doubtless  inherited  from  his  parents  a 
superior  intellect  which  was  nourished  by  most  careful  culture. 
In  his  childhood,  his  love  for  reading  was  encouraged  by  his 
friends,  and  especially  by  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  who  loaned 
him  books  from  the  Vaughan  library  and  directed  his  literary 
tastes.  He  took  his  college  preparatory  course  at  the 
Hallowell  Academy,  and  entered  Bowdoin  with  the  famous 
class  of  1825.  At  Bowdoin,  he  was  a  most  intense  and 
thorough  student,  and  an  omniverous  reader.  Calvin  E. 
Stowe,  a  student  in  the  class  above  Cheever,  once  said: 
"It  is  fifty  dollars  damage  to  the  college  library  to  have  a 
theme  assigned  to  Cheever  to  write  upon.  He  examines 
every  shelf  to  see  if  by  any  possibility  he  can  find  a  sentence 
which  throws  light  upon  his  subject." 

George  Cheever  was  not  only  a  thorough  student  but  an 
original  thinker  and  a  fearless  expounder  of  what  he  believed  to 
be  the  truth.  He  began  life  in  the  Christian  ministry  with  the 
resolve  that  he  would  never  see  wrong-doing  without  rebuking 
it.  Mr.  Abbott  asserts  that  Cheever  was  influenced  all  his  life 
by  the  spirit  of  the  man  who  prayed:  "O  Lord,  I  thank  thee 
that  I  have  none  of  that  sneaking  virtue  called  prudence!" 

Mr.  Cheever  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Howard  Street 
Congregational  Church  at  Salem,  in  1832.  While  there  he 
contributed  many  literary  and  theological  articles  to  the  North 
American  Review^  the  Biblical  Repository^]  and  other  maga- 
zines. He  was  one  of  the  most  voluminous  and  famous  of  the 
Hallowell  writers;  and  on  the  shelves  of  the  Hubbard  Free 
Library  may  be  found  his  works  in  forty  volumes.  These 
books  cover  a  period  from  1828  to  i860.  Notable  among  them 
are:  Studies  in  Poetry^  Lectures  on  the  Pilgrims  Progress , 


120 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Wanderings  of  a  Pilgrim^  Voices  of  Nature,  and  God  Against 
Slavery. 

But  the  most  famous  work  of  Dr.  Cheever  was  a  temper- 
ance pamphlet  called  Deacon  Giles'  Distillery.  The  contents 
of  this  pamphlet  were  originally  published  in  the  Salem 
Landmark,  in  February,  1835,  3-^  the  time  when  the  tem- 
perance agitation  was  beginning  to  excite  the  public  mind. 
The  scathing  utterances  of  this  tract  upon  the  great  evil  of  this 
period  were  like  tongues  of  flame  burning  into  the  hearts  of  the 
New  England  people.  The  effect  of  the  article  as  it  first 
appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  Landmark  was  unprecedented; 
and  its  subsequent  influence  upon  the  temperance  reform  was 
comparable  to  that  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  in  the  antislavery 
movement. 

A  copy  of  this  rare  and  curious  old  pamphlet  lies  before 
me.  It  is  entitled:  Deacon  Giles'  Distillery;  and  it  is  certainly 
a  lurid  and  awful  story.  Deacon  Giles  was  a  highly  respectable 
gentleman  who  made  a  great  deal  of  money  by  the  products  of 
his  distillery.  Although  a  pious  man  and  a  church  member, 
Deacon  Giles  never  allowed  the  fires  in  his  distillery  to  go  out 
on  Sunday;  and,  on  one  occasion,  when  his  men  refused  to 
work,  he  hired  a  company  of  devils  to  take  their  place.  These 
wicked  devils  conspired  to  play  a  joke  upon  the  Deacon,  and 
marked  all  of  his  barrels  with  invisible  inscriptions  which, 
whenever  a  glass  of  liquor  was  drawn,  burst  into  these  flaming 
lines:  *Tnsanity  and  Murder,"  "Convulsions  and  Epilepsies," 
Delirium  Tremens,"  "Distilled  Death  and  Damnation,"  and 
other  things  too  terrible  to  mention. 

The  tale  is  relieved  here  and  there  by  a  touch  of  keen 
satire  or  of  grim  humor.  For  example,  in  payment  for  their 
labors,  the  Deacon  offered  the  demons  "as  much  rum  every 
day  as  they  could  drink;"  but  they  "told  him  they  had  enough 
of  hot  things  where  they  came  from  without  drinking  damna- 
tion in  the  distillery."  Finally  the  deacon  said  he  would  give 
them  half  of  what  they  asked,  if  they  would  take  two-thirds  of 
that  in  Bibles, —  a  stock  of  which  the  good  deacon  always  kept 
in  one  corner  of  his  distillery.  The  devils  "winked  and  made 
signs  to  each  other,"  and  agreed  to  work  over  Sunday  on 


Cheever 


121 


these  terms;  but,  when  their  task  was  finished,  they  told  the 
deacon  that  it  was  against  their  principles  to  take  any  wages 
for  work  done  on  the  Sabbath,  and  refused  to  touch  the  Bibles. 

The  wood  cuts  that  illustrate  the  text  of  the  pam- 
phlet are  as  weird  and  demoniacal  as  the  scenes  which  they 
portray.  One  of  the  pictures  represents  the  devils  dancing 
around  the  boiling  caldron.  This  was  no  mild  Shakespearean 
"Double,  double,  toil  and  trouble"  performance,  but  a  fiendish 
revel  in  which  the  devils  ''leaped  and  grinned  and  jibbered  and 
swore,  .  .  .  and  danced  to  music  as  infernal  as  the  rhymes 
they  chanted  were  malignant,"  while  ''they  threw  their  poison- 
ous and  nauseous  drugs  into  the  agitated  mixture  .  .  .  amidst 
the  foaming  mass  of  materials,  which  they  stirred  and  tasted, 
scalding  hot  as  it  was,  with  a  ferocious,  exulting  delight." 

One  of  the  most  curious  effects  of  the  publication  of 
Deacon  Giles  Distillery  was  that  a  certain  distiller  of  Salem 
took  it  as  a  personal  affront ;  and  he,  a  deacon  in  a  Christian 
church,  prosecuted  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cheever  for  libel.  Mr. 
Cheever  was  convicted,  and  imprisoned  for  thirty  days  in  the 
Salem  jail.  "But  the  whole  procedure  gave  wings  to  the  pro- 
duction of  his  genius,  and  caused  it  to  become  one  of  the  great 
instruments  of  opening  the  eyes  of  the  suffering  community  to 
the  true  character  of  distillation." 

The  influence  of  Mr.  Cheever's  writings  was  felt  to  a 
degree  forgotten  or  unrecognized  at  the  present  day.  But 
when  we  recall  the  spirit  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  the 
vital  interest  which  the  subjects  of  intemperance  and  slavery 
had  for  the  people,  and  the  irresistible  power  with  which 
Cheever  put  forth  his  arguments  and  appeals,  we  can  under- 
stand the  statement  of  the  Rev.  John  S.  C.  Abbott  that 
"there  is  perhaps  no  one  of  the  Bowdoin  class  of  1825  who  has 
produced  a  deeper  impression  on  the  American  community  than 
George  B.  Cheever."  ' 

Henry  Theodore  Cheever,  was  born  in  Hallowell  in  1814. 
He  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College  in  1834,  and  followed  very 
closely  in  his  brother's  footsteps  as  clergyman,  traveler,  and 
author.  After  preaching  for  some  years  in  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  and  Connecticut,  he  finally  settled  in  Worcester, 


122 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Massachusetts,  in  1864.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  the  anti- 
slavery  cause,  and  was  secretary  of  the  church  antislavery 
society.  In  addition  to  numerous  biographical  and  theological 
works,  he  wrote  a  book  entitled  Life  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and  numerous  volumes  of  travel  and  adventure 
among  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  for  young  people. 

The  old  dwelling-house  which  was  the  home  of  the  Cheever 
family  is  still  standing  on  Water  Street  in  Hallowell.  It  should 
be  preserved  in  memory  of  the  two  eminent  clergymen  and 
reformers  who  passed  their  boyhood  and  youth  within  its  walls. 


The  name  of  Abbott  holds  a  prominent  place  in  the  social 
and  literary  annals  of  Hallowell.  This  is  due  not  only  to  the 
fame  of  the  well-known  authors,  Jacob  and  John  S.  C.  Abbott, 
but  to  the  eminent  position  of  their  parents  in  the  community 
and  to  the  many  interesting  associations  connected  with  their 
family  record. 

Jacob  Abbot,  Esq.,  the  first  of  the  name  in  Hallowell,  was 
the  son  of  Jacob  and  Lydia  Abbot  ^  of  Wilton,  New  Hampshire. 
He  was  born  October  20,  1776,  married  his  cousin,  Betsey, 
daughter  of  Joshua  and  Elizabeth  Chandler  Abbot,  April  8, 
1798,  and  removed  to  Hallowell  in  November,  1800. 

Jacob  Abbot,  Esq.,  possessed  all  the  excellent  traits  of  his 
eminent  Puritan  ancestors,  and  was  much  beloved  and  respected 
in  the  town.  He  was  a  fine  singer  and  very  fond  of  music. 
Before  coming  to  Hallowell,  he  had  been  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Concord  Musical  Society  and  chorister  at  the  Old  North 
Meeting-house.  At  Hallowell,  he  occupied  for  many  years  a 
prominent  position  in  the  famous  Old  South  choir.  In  all  of 
his  business  relations  he  was  noted  for  his  sincerity,  justice, 
and  probity.  Dr.  Gillet  once  said,  "Squire  Abbot  has  a 
remarkable  faculty  for  being  happy;"  and  this  was  doubtless 
true,  for,  as  we  are  told  by  one  who  knew  him,  there  was  never 

I  It  should  be  here  noted  that  the  father  and  grandfather  of  Jacob  Abbott,  the  author, 
spelled  their  name  Abbot.  Jacob  the  third,  for  the  sake  of  distinction,  added  a  second  t 
to  his  name;  and  his  younger  brothers  adopted  the  same  form.  One  of  the  brothers 
Gorham  D.  Abbot,  afterwards  returned  to  the  original  spelling  of  the  name. 


Abbott 


123 


a  man  who  lived  more  constantly  for  others,  or  who  was  more 
unmindful  of  self. 

The  children  of  Jacob  and  Betsey  Abbot  were :  Sallucia,  b. 
August  7,  1801;  Jacob,  b.  November  14,  1803;  John  Stevens 
Cabot,  b.  September  18,  1805;  Gorham  Dummer,  b.  September 
3,  1807;  Clara  Ann,  b.  October  28,  1809;  Charles  Edward,  b. 
December  8,  181 5;  Samuel  Phillips,  d.  1849. 

John  S.  C.  Abbott  and  Gorham  Dummer  Abbott  were 
born  in  Brunswick  during  the  temporary  residence  of  their 
parents  in  that  town,  but  their  boyhood  was  passed  in  Hallowell. 

Mr.  John  S.  C.  Abbott,  in  his  Reminiscences  of  Childhood 
thus  speaks  of  his  early  home : 

*'My  parents  and  my  grandparents  belonged  to  the  strictest 
class  of  Christians.  My  father  never  omitted  morning  and 
evening  prayers,  or  to  ask  a  blessing  and  return  thanks  at  each 
meal.  We  knew  that  our  mother  had  a  season  each  day  in 
which  she  retired  to  her  'closet  and  shut  the  door'  that  she 
might  'in  secret'  pray  for  each  child  by  name. 

"The  Sabbath  was  sacredly  observed.  As  a  rule  through 
summer  and  winter,  through  heat  and  cold,  we  all  went  to 
church.  Sabbath  schools  were  not  then  held.  Both  of  my 
parents  were  sweet  singers.  In  our  Sabbath,  Thanksgiving, 
and  Fast  Day  devotions,  we  alway  sang  hymns.  Sabbath 
evening  mother  gathered  us  seven  children  around  her  knee. 
We  then  recited  to  her  the  Catechism,  and  each  one  repeated  a 
hymn  from  Watts  or  some  other  poet,  which  she  had  selected 
for  us  in  the  morning.  .  .  .  We  children  all  knew  that 
both  father  and  mother  would  rather  we  would  struggle  all  our 
days  with  adversity,  and  be  Christians^  than  to  have  all  the 
honors  of  genius,  and  all  the  wealth  of  millionaires  lavished 
upon  us,  without  piety.  .  .  .  We  loved  those  Puritan 
parents  with  a  fervor  that  could  hardly  be  surpassed. 

Edward  Abbott,  in  his  Memorial  Sketch  of  Jacob  Abbott^. 
gives  another  pleasant  picture  of  child-life  in  Hallowell,  written 
for  him  by  ''one  who  had  a  joyous  part  in  it:" 

"This  Hallowell  life  was  very  pleasant.  Sam  Merrick  (as 
he  was  called  then)  used  in  winter  to  get  out  the  old-fashioned 
white  double  sleigh,  which  he  called  'the  Ark,'  and  take  us  all 


124 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


for  a  ride  about  the  streets  in  a  light  snow  storm.  Then  there 
was  the  coasting  down  the  hills,  and  all  the  winter  amusements 
which  we  had  health  and  strength  for  in  those  early  days. 
The  winter  evening  visits,  too,  were  very  pleasant.  Children 
went  more  with  their  parents  then  than  they  do  now.  I 
remember  one  such  occasion  at  Mr.  Merrick's  in  the  octagon 
parlor:  the  large  white  marble  fireplace  on  one  of  the  eight 
sides  of  the  room,  a  big  fire  in  it,  a  party  of  elderly  gentlemen 
and  ladies  seated  in  semi-circles  on  each  side,  a  large  tea-table 
on  the  side  of  the  room  opposite,  covered  with  the  tea-equipage 
and  around  which  we  children,  Vaughans,  Merricks,  and  Abbots, 
all  sat  with  Mrs.  Merrick,  who  sent  the  tea,  etc.,  to  the  party 
around  the  fire  on  a  small  tea-tray,  and  gave  us  children  our 
supper  meanwhile.  After  tea,  the  things  were  rem.oved;  and 
books,  pictures,  riddles,  etc.,  were  brought  for  our  amusement, 
while  the  elders  chatted  pleasantly  before  the  fire.  Our  visits 
at  Mr.  Benjamin  Vaughan's  and  at  your  Grandfather's,  'Squire 
Abbot's,'  were  of  the  same  character.  The  feast  for  the 
appetite  was  very  simple;  but  the  intellectual  and  aesthetical 
feast  was  of  the  first  order." 

The  unusual  social  and  educational  advantages  of  Hallowell, 
in  connection  with  the  excellent  home  training  received  by  the 
five  Abbott  boys,  laid  the  foundation  for  their  subsequent 
'useful  and  successful  careers, — careers  which  in  the  retrospect 
seem  remarkable  for  their  similarity.  All  five  of  these  boys 
attended  the  Hallowell  Academy;  all  graduated  from  Bowdoin 
College;  all  studied  theology  at  Andover;  all  became  teachers 
and  ministers;  all,  except  the  youngest,  who  died  in  1849, 
became  eminent  as  authors.  But  notwithstanding  this  unity  of 
life-work,  each  of  the  Abbott  brothers  was  distinguished  by 
marked  individuality  of  character.  A  discerning  friend  in 
comparing  three  of  them  once  said:  Jacob  for  advice;  John  for 
a  speech;  Gorham  for  a  prayer." 

Jacob  Abbott,  the  eldest  son,  entered  Bowdoin  when  he 
was  not  quite  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  graduated  in  1820; 
and,  in  1824,  was  appointed  professor  of  mathematics  and 
natural  philosphy  at  Amherst.  In  1828,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Harriet  Vaughan,  daughter  of  Charles  Vaughan,  Esq.,  of 


Abbott 


125 


Hallowell,  a  young  lady  much  admired  for  her  beauty  and 
lovehness  of  character. 

In  1833,  Jacob  Abbott  became  principal  of  the  Mt.  Vernon 
School  for  young  ladies  in  Boston.  His  work  there  was  very 
effective  in  elevating  and  broadening  the  standard  of  education 
of  young  women.  Ten  years  later,  he  was  associated  with  his 
four  brothers  in  Abbott's  Institute,  a  school  for  young  ladies 
in  New  York.  The  methods  pursued  by  Jacob  Abbott  as  an 
instructor  in  these  schools  are,  in  many  instances,  traceable  to 
his  own  experience  and  early  training.  His  books  for  children 
also  disclose  many  bits  of  life  and  character  suggestive  of  his 
own  home;  and  the  author  himself  asserts  that  the  influences 
that  moulded  his  life  were  in  a  marked  degree  traceable  to  his 
youthful  associations  and  surroundings  in  old  Hallowell. 

The  fame  of  Jacob  Abbott  as  the  author  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  volumes  is  well  known  to  every  reader  of  these 
pages;  but  we  who  were  brought  up  on  the  Rollo  Books,  the 
Jonas  Books,  the  Lucy  Books,  the  Harper  s  Story  Books,  and 
the  Red  Histories,  have  a  peculiar  feeling  of  gratitude  and 
affection  for  the  author  that  the  younger  generation  of  to-day 
can  never  understand.  To  us  there  was  never  any  hero  so  wise 
as  "Mr.  George,"  or  so  resourceful  as  "Jonas,"  or  so  fascinating 
as  "Beechnut;"  and  there  certainly  were  never  any  "red 
histories,"  dyed  with  the  blood  of  dethroned  tyrants  and 
beheaded  queens,  that  touched  so  poignantly  yet  impressed  so 
lightly,  the  susceptible  but  volatile  heart  of  childhood. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Jacob  and  Harriet  Vaughan 
Abbott,  who  became  eminent  in  the  professional  and  literary 
world.  They  were  Benjamin  Vaughan  Abbott,  Austin  Abbott, 
Lyman  Abbott,  and  Edward  Abbott.  The  life  of  these 
brothers  presents  a  curious  unity  of  purpose  and  results 
comparable  to  that  of  their  father  and  his  /brothers.  These 
four  sons  of  Jacob  Abbott  all  graduated  from  New  York 
University;  three  of  them  studied  law;  the  fourth,  the  late  Rev. 
Edward  Abbott,  entered  the  ministry  and  became  rector  of 
St.  Jam.es  Church  at  Cambridge.  All  have  been  engaged  in 
literary  and  editorial  work.  They  were  also  all  accomplished 
musicians,  having  perhaps  inherited,  together  with  their  father 


126 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


and  grandfather,  their  love  and  talent  for  music  from  that  more 
remote  ancestor,  George  Abbot,  known  as  '*a  man  of  great 
simplicity  and  piety  who  tuned  a  psalm." 

The  Rev.  John  S.  C.  Abbott  has  a  ministerial  record  of 
forty  years.  He  was  also  a  prolific  author  with  more  than  fifty 
volumes  to  his  credit,  including  the  famous  Life  of  Napoleon 
and  such  of  the  Red  Histories  as  pertain  to  France.  His 
historical  works  were  translated  into  many  languages  and  gave 
their  author  an  international  reputation. 

Mr.  Abbott  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College,  with  Long- 
fellow, Hawthorne,  Cheever,  Packard,  and  other  celebrated 
men,  in  the  famous  class  of  1825.  He  was  one  of  the  members 
of  this  class  who  were  present  at  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
their  graduation  when  Longfellow  delivered  the  poem,  Morituri 
Salutantus,  The  opening  invocation  was  by  Mr.  Abbott,  and 
was  most  impressive.  There  are  those  who  were  present  on 
this  memorable  day, — and  I  count  myself  happy  to  have  been 
one  of  the  number, — who  still  remember  the  fine,  spiritual 
face  and  the  sympathetic  presence  of  this  man  who  after  fifty 
years  of  wide  experience  and  many  honors  had  brought  back  to 
his  Alma  Mater  the  unsullied  and  enthusiastic  heart  of  the 
boy.  In  our  ears,  his  thrilling  tones  still  linger  as,  standing 
beside  his  gray-haired  class-mate,  he  uttered  this  petition: 
"Lord,  teach  us  to  remember  that 

'  Not  enjoyment  and  not  sorrow 
Is  our  destined  end  or  way, 
But  to  act  that  each  to-morrow 
Find  us  farther  than  to-day. '  " 

These  lines  disclose  the  motif  of  the  harmonious  and 
effective  life-work  of  the  Abbott  family. 

Just  one  hundred  years  ago,  in  the  year  1809,  made 
memorable  by  the  birth  of  so  many  illustrious  men,  there 
was  born,  in  Portland,  Maine,  a  child  destined  to  have  the 
exceptional  experience  of  being  one  of  the  most  widely  read 
and  yet  speedily  forgotten  authors  in  the  realm  of  American 


Ingraham 


127 


letters.  This  child  was  Joseph  Holt  Ingraham.  He  was  the 
son  of  James  M.  Ingraham,  and,  according  to  family  tradition, 
a  direct  descendant  of  Sir  Arthur  Ingraham,  a  valiant  knight  of 
the  days  of  King  James  I.  of  England. 

When  the  little  Joseph  was  four  years  old,  his  parents  re- 
mpved  from  Portland  to  Hallowell,  Maine.  His  father  is  described 
by  one  of  his  contemporaries  as  *'a  very  polite,  gentlemanly  sort 
of  man  who  always  wore  black  broadcloth."  Mr.  Ingraham 
entered  into  business  in  the  store  on  Water  Street  that  after- 
wards became  a  well-known  landmark  on  Ingraham's  corner; 
and  the  family  resided  in  a  house  that  stood  for  many  years  in 
the  locality  of  the  present  City  Building.  There  were  nine 
children  in  the  Ingraham  family,  six  of  whom  were  born  after 
the  parents  came  to  reside  in  Hallowell. 

Here  the  youthful  Joseph  grew  up,  taking  an  active  part  in 
the  young  life  of  the  town.  He  attended  school  at  the 
Hallowell  Academy;  and  has  left  on  record  some  very  inter- 
esting reminiscenses  of  this  period  of  his  life.  During  these 
years  of  his  boyhood,  his  young  heart  was  many  times  stirred 
by  the  marvelous  stories  told  by  the  old  sea-captains  who  daily 
sat  to  spin  their  yarns  and  sip  their  tall  glasses  of  flip  in  the  old 
store  on  Ingraham's  Corner;  and  when  he  was  about  seventeen 
years  of  age  the  love  of  adventure  began  to  assert  itself.  Every 
white  sail  that  vanished  down  the  Kennebec  beckoned  to  him 
to  follow;  and  so,  one  day,  the  lad  put  on  his  tarpaulin  and  set 
sail  upon  a  sloop  bound  for  South  America. 

Returning  from  this  voyage,  apparently  quite  satisfied  with 
his  perilous  experiences  by  land  and  sea, — including  a  lively 
part  in  a  South  American  rebellion, — the  brave  and  adven- 
turous descendant  of  Sir  Arthur  Ingraham  once  more  settled 
down  to  his  studies,  and  entered  Bowdoin  college  after  the 
manner  of  the  other  well-regulated  youths  pf  Hallowell.  He 
graduated  at  twenty-four  years  of  age.  In  1832,  he  was 
Professor  of  Languages  in  Jefferson  College,  Mississippi.  In 
1836,  he  was  editor  of  The  South-west  by  a  Yankee. 

The  literary  ability  of  Joseph  Holt  Ingraham  began  to 
develop  while  he  was  in  college;  and  his  remarkable  powers  of 
description  and  his  riotous  imagination,  fed  perhaps  by  some  of 


128 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


his  own  experiences,  soon  found  expression  in  a  series  of 
marvelous  and  exciting  tales  whose  heroes  were  pirates, 
corsairs,  freebooters,  and  Indians.  The  first  and  most  popular 
of  these  stories  were  Lafitte^  or  The  Pirate  of  the  Gulf  Captain 
Kydd,  and  The  Dancifig  Feather,  which  sold  in  editions  of  tens 
of  thousands.  Another  very  interesting  story  was  Scarlet 
Feather,  a  tale  of  the  Abenaki  Indians  of  the  Kennebec. 

After  a  few  years,  the  wild  spirit  of  the  youthful  author 
seems  to  have  expended  itself  upon  these  stories,  and  a  more 
worthy  ambition  stirred  his  heart.  His  mind  took  a  more 
serious  turn,  and  his  life-work  became  fixed  upon  a  more  exalted 
plane.  He  traveled  much,  studied  profoundly,  prepared  him- 
self for  the  Protestant  Episcopal  ministry,  became  Dean  of  St. 
Thomas'  School  for  boys,  and  took  orders  in  Christ  Church,  at 
Holly  Springs,  Mississippi. 

In  1855,  a  book  appeared  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  J.  H. 
Ingraham  which  took  the  American  reading  public  by  storm. 
This  was  The  Prince  of  the  House  of  David.  The  success  of 
the  book  was  immediate  and  unprecedented.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  copies  were  sold,  and  the  book  is  still  listed  by 
prominent  American  and  English  publishers. 

The  Prince  of  the  House  of  David  was  followed  by  The 
Pillar  of  Fire  and  The  Throne  of  David,  all  of  which  are 
credited  with  historical  accuracy,  a  picturesque  setting,  and  a 
dramatic  charm.  They  were  not  only  the  first  novels  founded 
upon  Biblical  subjects,  but  the  first  novels  that  were  cordially 
received  into  the  homes  of  Christian  families  in  America. 
Even  the  Sunday  school  libraries  on  whose  shelves  no  work  of 
fiction  had  ever  appeared,  warmly  welcomed  the  Prince  of  the 
House  of  David  and  the  two  succeeding  volumes  of  Ingraham's 
trilogy  of  religous  novels. 

But  although  the  sale  of  Ingraham's  books  ran  into  the 
millions,  and  although  they  are  still  annually  issued  by  standard 
publishers,  the  author  himself  seems  to  be  almost  forgotten  by 
the  literary  world.  The  encyclopedias  give  him  but  brief 
mention,  and  the  histories  of  American  literature  consistently 
ignore  him.  This  experience  presents  a  curious  phase  of 
authorship.    If  it  be  conceded  that  The  Prince  of  the  House  of 


Moody 


129 


David  is  not  literature  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word,  there 
still  remains  the  interesting  question,  to  what  elements  in  the 
book  is  its  great  and  lasting  popularity  due?  This  question  is 
quite  worthy  of  the  consideration  of  the  student  who  is  tracing 
the  development  of  the  American  novel. 

Mr.  Ingraham  married,  in  1837,  Miss  Mary  E.  Brookes, 
the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  Mississippi  planter.  Their  son, 
Prentiss  Ingraham,  born  in  1843,  was  a  colonel  in  the  Confed- 
erate army.  Like  his  father  he  was  a  writer  of  dramatic  and 
picturesque  fiction,  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  the 
author  of  a  thousand  novels. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Ingraham  died  in  i860.  He  cher- 
ished until  his  last  years  most  vivid  and  delightful  recollections 
of  the  home  of  his  boyhood;  and  his  Lights  and  Shadows  of  the 
Past  are  a  treasure-store  of  reminiscences  that  are  of  especial 
value  to  us  to-day,  for  they  were  written  for  the  sons  and 
daughters  of  Old  Hallowell. 

Samuel,  Nathan,  and  Enoch  Moody  were  the  sons  of  Paul 
and  Mary  Moody  of  Byfield  Parish  in  Newbury.  They  all 
settled  in  Hallowell  and  became  prominent  and  much  respected 
citizens. 

Samuel  Moody  was  born  February  3,  1765.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Dartmouth  college,  and,  for  three  years,  was 
preceptor  of  Berwick  Academy.  In  July,  1797,  Mr.  Moody 
was  appointed  preceptor  of  the  academy  at  Hallowell,  where 
he  taught  with  great  success  for  eight  years.  His  salary  at 
first  was  three  hundred  dollars  a  year  and  ten  cents  a  week 
from  each  pupil.  At  the  close  of  his  term  of  service,  he  was 
receiving  five  hundred  dollars  a  year,  and  had  an  assistant  who 
received  an  annual  salary  of  three  hundred  dollars. 

Preceptor  Moody  is  mentioned  in  the  local  records  as  "a 
portly  gentleman  who  always  wore  a  queue."  When  he  first 
came  to  Hallowell,  he  was  a  brilliant  young  man  of  thirty-two, 
whose  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Sawyer,  daughter  of  Enoch  and 
Hannah  Sawyer,  had  just  taken  place  at  Newbury.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Samuel  Moody  resided  in  the  large,  square  house  on  the 


130  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

corner  of  Middle  and  Winthrop  streets,  still  notable  for  its 
handsome  colonial  doorway,  and  now  designated  as  the  Moses 
Oilman  house.  Here  their  daughter  Sarah  grew  into  beautiful 
young  womanhood,  and  was  married,  beneath  the  roof  of  this 
hospitable  old  mansion,  to  Joseph  C.  Lovejoy,  October  6,  1830. 

Samuel  Moody,  after  resigning  his  preceptorship,  went 
into  trade  with  his  brother  Nathan  at  Hallowell.  He  was 
successful  in  business  and  occupied  positions  of  public  trust  in 
the  town.  He  was  also  one  of  three  delegates  sent  from 
Kennebec  County  to  the  convention  held  in  Portland  in 
October,  1819,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  constitution  for 
the  State  of  Maine.  He  died  April  6,  1832,  aged  sixty-seven, 
meriting  the  inscription  placed  upon  his  gravestone:  "I  will 
hold  fast  my  integrity." 

Nathan  Moody  was  born  September  11,  1768,  at  Newbury, 
Massachusetts,  and  came  to  Hallowell  in  1796.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  Dartmouth  College,  and  a  remarkable  mathema- 
tician. He  married  Judith  Wingate,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Judith  Wingate.  Their  children  were:  Mary  Elizabeth,  born 
July  25,  1806;  died,  September  i,  1822;  and  Caroline  Judith, 
born  April  22,  1809;  married  October  21,  1828,  William 
Stickney  of  Hallowell. 

Nathan  Moody  married  second,  Susan  Clark  of  Plaistow, 
New  Hampshire.  Their  daughter.  Miss  Mary  Moody,  was  for 
many  years  a  resident  in  the  old  Moody  House,  now  known  as 
the  Macomber  house,  on  Second  Street. 

The  Wingate  family  has  an  ancient  and  interesting  lineage. 
Joshua  and  Joseph  Wingate,  who  were  settled  in  Hallowell  at 
the  opening  of  the  nineteenth  century,  were  sons  of  the  Rev. 
Paine  Wingate,  "for  sixty  years  the  godly  and  faithful  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Amesbury,  Massachusetts,"  and  descendants 
of  "John  Wingate,  Planter,  of  Dover,  in  1658."  The  mother  of 
Joshua  and  Joseph  Wingate  was  Mary  Balch,  "a  lady  noted  for 
considerable  literary  acquirements  and  personal  beauty." 

Joshua  Wingate  married  Hannah  Carr,  daughter  of  Deacon 
James  Carr,  and  came  to  Hallowell  in  1794.    At  this  time,  the 


Captain  John  Agry 


Wingate 


131 


passage  was  usually  made  in  a  sailing  vessel;  but  Mrs.  Wingate, 
not  liking  the  sea  voyage,  undertook  the  journey  in  a  chaise. 
Her  husband,  finding  the  roads  extremely  rough,  was  obliged 
to  employ  a  servant  on  each  side  of  the  vehicle  to  keep  it 
upright  and  pry  it  out  of  the  mud-holes.  But  they  at  last 
arrived  safely  at  their  destination,  and  cast  in  their  fortunes  with 
the  new  and  rapidly  growing  town  on  the  Kennebec. 

Mr.  Wingate  entered  into  trade,  and  became  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  merchants  of  Hallowell.  He  also  served  as 
postmaster  for  a  number  of  years,  and  was  prominent  in  the 
public  affairs  of  the  town.  Joshua  Wingate  with  his  family 
resided  in  a  large,  fine  house  on  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Union  streets,  now  known  as  the  Niles  house.  He  lived  to 
the  remarkable  age  of  ninety-seven  years.  He  was  always 
a  conspicuous  figure  upon  the  street,  as,  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1844,  he  maintained  the  fashion  of  his  early  manhood, 
and  wore  small  clothes  and  knee  buckles.  He  was  ''universally 
respected  for  his  industry,  integrity,  and  a  faithful  discharge  of 
all  the  social  and  Christian  duties."  ' 

Joseph  Wingate,  brother  of  Joshua,  born  July  17,  1751, 
married  Judith  Carr,  and  came  to  Hallowell  about  1800.  He 
owned  and  successfully  cultivated  a  large  farm,  and  was  famil- 
iarly known  as  "Farmer  Wingate."  He  was  a  friend  of  Dr. 
Benjamin  Vaughan,  with  whom  he  "frequently  went  home  for  a 
neighborly  visit  on  Sunday  after  meeting." 

Joseph  and  Judith  Wingate  had  ten  children,  all  born 
before  their  parents  removed  from  Amesbury  to  Hallowell. 
Their  second  son,  Francis  (born  January  5,  1789;  d.  May  14, 
1848)  married,  January  24,  1823,  Martha  Savary  of  Bradford, 
and  settled  on  his  father's  estate  in  Hallowell.  Their  children 
were  Mary  Savary  who  married  Dr.  M.  C.  Richardson,  and 
George  Francis  who  married,  August  6,  1 861, /Emma  A.  Myers 
of  Manchester,  Maine.  Mr.  Geprge  Francis  Wingate  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  the  town. 
Through  his  children  the  name  of  Wingate  has  been  perpetu- 
ated in  Hallowell. 


I  History  of  the  Wingate  Family ,  p.  i66. 


132  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Hon.  Chandler  Robbins  will  long  be  remembered  as  one  of 
the  notabilities  of  Hallowell.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev.  Chandler 
and  Jane  Prence  Robbins  of  Plymouth.  In  1 791,  he  came  to 
Hallowell  and  established  himself  as  a  merchant.  He  was  a 
man  of  native  talent,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College,  and  well 
fitted  by  birth  and  education  to  take  a  prominent  place  in  the 
community.  We  soon  find  him  on  record  as  Register  of  Pro- 
bate and  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

Judge  Robbins  married  Harriet,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Lorthrop,  and  had  two  sons:  William  Henry,  born  October  22, 
1795,  and  Chandler,  born  August  21,  1797.  He  resided  on  the 
corner  of  Second  and  Lincoln  streets,  in  one  of  the  old-fashioned, 
square,  two-story  houses  which  abound  in  Hallowell,  and  enter- 
tained many  distinguished  guests  in  his  hospitable  home. 

The  founders  of  the  Agry  family  were  notable  as  ship- 
builders and  sea-captains,  and  stand  as  typical  representatives 
of  a  class  of  men  that  constituted  an  important  element  in  the 
early  life  on  the  Kennebec. 

Captain  Thomas  Agry  established  a  ship-yard  in  Dresden 
in  1774;  and  built,  at  Agry's  Point,  twenty  of  the  batteaux  for 
Arnold's  expedition.  His  son,  John  Agry,  born  at  Barnstable, 
April  7,  1763,  also  settled  at  Dresden.  Here  he  engaged 
extensively  in  ship-building,  and  was  owner  and  commander  of 
many  of  the  vessels  constructed  in  the  Agry  ship-yards. 

Captain  John  Agry  married  Elizabeth  Reed  of  Boothbay, 
August  13,  1793.  A  long-remembered  bit  of  romance  is  inter- 
woven with  the  story  of  the  betrothal  of  this  young  couple. 
Captain  Agry,  on  one  of  his  return  voyages,  once  encountered  a 
very  severe  storm  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec.  He  was 
obliged  to  put  into  Parker's  Head  for  safety;  and  in  this  unex- 
pected haven  he  met  and  fell  in  love  with  the  beautiful  young 
girl  who  soon  afterwards  became  his  wife. 

In  1 801,  Captain  John  Agry  removed  to  Hallowell,  and 
built  for  his  first  residence  the  spacious,  old-time  mansion  on 
Water  Street,  afterwards  known  as  the  Marshall  house.  Later 
Captain  John  Agry  erected  the  brick  house  on  Second  Street  in 
which  his   son.  Captain   George  Agry,  afterwards  resided. 


Mrs.  B1.1ZABETH  Rekd  Agry 


Agry 


133 


Captain  George  Agry,  the  seventh  child  of  Captain  John  and 
Elizabeth  Agry,  born  February  2,  1808,  married  Caroline 
Hodges,  of  Hallowell,  September  18,  1841;  and  died  in  Port- 
land, October  i,  1894. 

UnHke  most  of  the  Hallowell  sailors,  this  young  captain,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen,  started  out  as  master  of  his  own  vessel.  In 
fact,  it  is  said  that  he  was  "Captain,  mate,  cook,  and  whole 
ship's  crew;"  and  that  he  "carried  one  passenger  and  a  trunk 
from  Pittston  down  the  Kennebec  to  the  sea,  and  thence  along 
the  coast  to  the  Penobscot,  and  up  that  river  to  Bangor." 

For  more  than  forty  years  Captain  Agry  followed  the  sea, 
sailing  from  Boston  to  English,  French,  and  Mediterranean 
ports.  During  his  sea-going  life,  he  was  master  and  part  owner 
of  eleven  vessels.  Mrs.  Agry  accompanied  her  husband  on 
many  of  his  voyages  and  shared  with  him  some  thrilling 
experiences,  during  which  Captain  Agry  showed  himself  to  be 
a  man  of  great  nerve  and  courage. 

Captain  Agry  accumulated  a  large  property  early  in  life. 
His  home  was  one  of  the  most  hospitable  in  Hallowell;  and 
many  of  the  guests  who  were  entertained  under  its  roof  were 
friends  made  by  the  Captain  among  the  distinguished  pas- 
sengers whom  he  frequently  carried  "across,"  on  his  voyages 
from  the  United  States  to  Europe. 

At  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  Captain  Agry  gave  up 
his  ship  and  became  one  of  those  "retired  sea  cap'ns,"  of  whom 
there  were  so  many  in  Hallowell  in  the  olden  days.  These  men 
of  leisure,  travel,  and  experience  in  foreign  lands,  formed  a  most 
interesting  part  of  the  community.  As  a  class,  they  were 
generous,  open-hearted,  and  hospitable.  They  were  always 
delightful  story-tellers,  and  genial  companions.  They  were 
also  keenly  interested  in  politics,  and  had  ample  time  for  the 
discussion  of  the  questions  of  the  day.  j 

Captain  Agry  was  an  enthusiastic  Democrat  and  a  very 
outspoken  anti-abolitionist.  He  remained  loyal  to  his  party  all 
his  life;  but  in  after  years  he  fully  recognized  the  justice  of  the 
principles  of  his  early  opponents,  and  looked  upon  the  abolition 
of  slavery  as  the  righteous  result  of  the  great  national  conflict. 

The  children  of  captain  George  and  Caroline  Hodges  Agry 


134 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


are:  Adelaide  Newman,  now  Mrs.  A.  B.  Moulton  of  Portland; 
Caroline  Amelia,  Mrs.  Wiley  S.  Edmands  of  Newton,  Massa- 
chusetts; and  Mr,  George  Agry  of  Newton.  The  name  of 
Agry,  in  the  younger  generation,  has  descended  to  George 
Agry,  Jr.,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  1905,  and  Warren  Agry 
of  Dartmouth,  191 1,  the  sons  of  Mr.  George  Agry,  formerly 
of  Hallowell. 

The  Sewalls  of  Hallowell  belonged  to  the  well-known  York 
family  descended  from  Henry  Sewall,  Mayor  of  Coventry, 
England.  David  Sewall  settled  in  Hallowell  in  1784,  and  his 
brother  Moses  came  in  1787.  They  built  stores  and  ware- 
houses, and  were  engaged  in  the  "goods  selling  business." 
John  Sewall,  a  cousin  of  David  and  Moses,  also  settled  in 
Hallowell.  He  erected  the  three-story  house  that  still  stands, 
a  conspicuous  landmark,  upon  the  high  bank  overlooking 
Lowell's  crossing.  John  Sewall  was  town  clerk  for  many 
years;  and  to  his  indefatigable  labors,  we  are  indebted  for 
valuable  records  of  the  old  families  of  Hallowell.  John -Sewall 
also  taught  the  town  school,  and  ruled  his  pupils  with  a  master- 
ful and  undisputed  sway.  The  Sewall  brothers  were  able 
and  enterprising  men;  and  their  families  occupied  a  highly 
respected  position  in  the  town. 

The  daughters  of  these  old  Hallowell  families  were  no 
less  worthy  of  honorable  mention  than  the  sons.  Miss  Elizabeth 
Cheever,  daughter  of  Nathaniel  Cheever,  was  a  rarely  gifted 
young  woman  of  exceptionally  beautiful  character.  She  mar- 
ried Mr.  Ichabod  Washburn  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  and 
spent  her  long  life  and  ample  fortune  in  philanthropic  work. 
She  has  been  called  the  ''Lady  Bountiful"  and  the  ''Saint 
Elizabeth"  of  her  adopted  city. 

The  two  daughters  of  the  Abbott  household  were  quite 
worthy  of  their  name  and  family  inheritance.  Miss  Sallucia 
Abbott  never  married.  She  may  be  regarded  as  an  example 
of  that  notable  and  honored  type  of  spinsterhood  in  which  all 
the  estimable  qualities  of  the  New  England  woman  are  com- 
bined. Strong  in  her  convictions,  forceful  in  her  character, 
and  far-reaching  in  her  sympathies,  she  was  a  dominant  factor 


i 


Daughters  of  Hallowell 


135 


in  the  Abbott  home.  As  the  elder  sister,  Miss  Sallucia, 
exercised  a  watchful  care  over  her  brothers  and,  by  her  critical 
ability,  cultivated  tastes,  and  practical  helpfulness,  contributed 
much  to  the  success  of  their  literary  work.  In  her  later  years, 
"Aunt  Sallucia"  lived  at  Fewacres,  the  Abbott  estate  in 
Farmington,  where  she  *'sat  as  an  oracle  in  her  seat,  and 
administered  a  mimic  sovereignty  in  the  realm  over  which,  by 
common  consent,  she  was  the  queen." 

Miss  Mary  Moody  was  a  woman  of  lovable  character  and 
unusual  mental  attainments.  During  many  years  she  taught 
a  very  successful  school  for  young  ladies  in  her  own  home. 
Three  generations  of  private  pupils  received  instruction  from 
Miss  Moody,  through  whose  teachings  they  were  imbued 
with  an  ideal  of  true  womanhood,  and  with  noble  aspirations 
that  permanently  influenced  their  lives.  Miss  Moody  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Old  South  Church ;  and  was  the  author 
of  the  beautiful  poem  entitled,  "The  Old  South  Church  of 
Hallowell."  The  last  twelve  years  of  her  life.  Miss  Moody 
spent  with  her  nephew,  Mr.  George  Hoyt,  in  Chicago  and 
Pittsburg.    She  died  August  14,  1906,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one. 

Mrs.  Charlotte  Sewall  Eastman,  daughter  of  David  Sewall, 
was  a  woman  of  superior  intelligence  and  culture.  She  traveled 
extensively  abroad,  and  resided  twelve  years  in  Italy.  Once, 
when  in  Switzerland,  she  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  George 
Eliot.  The  famous  authoress  sat  in  the  garden  of  her  hotel, 
reading  aloud,  in  French,  the  story  of  Romola  to  a  little  girl 
at  her  side.  As  Mrs.  Eastman  approached,  she  paused  a 
moment  to  listen  to  the  musical  voice  of  the  reader.  "Do  you 
understand  me.?"  asked  Mrs.  Lewes,  graciously.  "Pardon  me," 
replied  Mrs.  Eastman;  "I  was  only  listening  to  your  sweet 
voice."  "Do  you  like  it.?"  said  Mrs.  Lewes,  as  her  face  lighted 
with  pleasure.  Then,  taking  the  hand  of  the  American  lady 
in  her  own,  she  said:  "I  thank  you.  I  would  much  rather  you 
would  compliment  my  voice  than  my  Romola!' 

Mrs.  Eastman,  in  her  early  years,  was  a  student  at  the 
Hallowell  x^cademy.  In  after  life,  she  was  a  liberal  benefactress 
of  the  Classical  School.  She  will  long  be  remembered  among 
the  loyal  daughters  of  her  native  town. 


X 


THE  LAWYERS  OF  HALLOWELL 

"The  bar  of  Kennebec  contained  at  that  time  able  lawyers  and 

advocates.     ...    It  required  industry,  perseverance,  and  a  high 

ambition,  as  well  as  intellectual  powers,  to  compete  successfully 
with  such  men." — Hon.  William  Willis. 

EURING  the  days  of  the  early  growth  and  prosperity 
of  Hallowell,  a  number  of  men  eminent  in  the  legal 
profession  successively  established  themselves  in  the 
town,  and  contributed  largely  to  its  social  and  intellect- 
ual life.  These  men  became  well  known,  not  only  as  members 
of  the  Kennebec  bar,  but  as  representatives  to  General  Court, 
to  the  Maine  legislature,  and  to  the  congress  of  the  United 
States.  They  included,  among  their  number,  members  of  the 
Executive  Council,  and  judges  of  the  District  Court  and  of  the 
Supreme  Judicial  Court  of  Massachusetts.  Notable  among 
these  lawyers  were :  Amos  Stoddard,  Nathaniel  Perley,  Samuel 
Sumner  Wilde,  Thomas  Bond,  Peleg  Sprague,  Ebenezer  T. 
Warren,  John  Otis,  Williams  Emmons,  William  Clark,  Henry 
W.  Paine,  William  B.  Glazier,  and  Henry  Knox  Baker. 

The  name  of  Amos  Stoddard  stands  first,  in  point  of  time, 
in  the  list  of  lawyers  who  gave  distinction  to  the  profession  of 
law  in  Hallowell.  He  was  born  in  Woodbury,  Connecticut,  in 
1759.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  entered  the  Revolutionary 
army  and  served  throughout  the  seven  years  of  the  war. 
During  this  period  of  active  service  in  the  army,  he  developed 
that  taste  and  ability  for  military  affairs  which  marked  his 
subsequent  career.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Stoddard  became 
assistant  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts,  and 
resided  in  Boston.  The  fame  of  the  growing  town  of  Hallowell 
soon  attracted  him  to  this  place;  and  about  1794,  he  settled  at 
the  Hook  and  opened  an  office  as  attorney  of  the  Common 
Pleas.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  talent,  and  fine  personal 
appearance;  and  from  his  legal  ability  and  his  experience  in  the 


Perley 


137 


Massachusetts  court,  he  immediately  commanded  a  leading 
place  among  the  residents  of  the  town.  He  was  the  represen- 
tative from  Hallowell  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
in  1797,  the  year  in  which  the  town  was  divided. 

But  although  the  legal  and  legislative  ability  of  Mr. 
Stoddard  was  thus  recognized,  his  military  tastes  and  aspira- 
tions were  predominant  in  his  life;  and  in  1798,  he  threw  up 
the  profession  of  law  and  entered  the  United  States  Army  with 
the  rank  of  Captain,  In  1799,  he  had  command  of  the  Fort  on 
Munjoy  Hill,  then  called  Fort  Sumner.  In  1802,  Captain 
Stoddard  was  ordered  to  Ohio,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Major.  Subsequently  he  was  civil  commander  of  upper 
Louisiana;  and  a  military  station.  Fort  Stoddard,  was  named  in 
his  honor.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  wrote  two 
notable  books.  The  Political  Crisis,  published  in  London,  and 
Sketches  of  Louisiana.  He  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-four, 
leaving  behind  him  an  honorable  record  as  a  patriot  and 
soldier. 

Nathaniel  Perley  was  born  at  Boxford,  Massachusetts, 
about  1770.  He  was  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in 
1 791,  and,  after  being  admitted  to  the  Massachusetts  bar, 
removed  to  Hallowell,  where  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in 
1795.  He  was  a  man  of  genial  disposition  and  delightful 
personality,  and  was  always  known  as  ''Squire  Perley." 

The  following  discriminating  estimate  of  Mr.  Perley's 
professional  career,  from  the  pen  of  Charles  Dummer,  Esq., 
for  many  years  a  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Hallowell,  will  be 
of  especial  interest  in  this  connection : 

''Intelligent,  full  of  life,  possessing  high  social  quahties, 
Mr,  Perley  gathered  around  him  many  friends  and  very  soon 
found  himself  actively  engaged  in  the  responsibilities  of  life. 
This  current  of  business  continued  to  enlarge  with  the  growth 
of  the  community  around  him.  Steadfast  friends,  uninter- 
rupted health,  and  persevering  application  gave  encouragement 
to  all  his  hopes.  He  was  distinguished  for  sound  common 
sense;  he  possessed  varied  powers;  his  quickness  of  perception 


138 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


and  constant  good  humor  attracted  early  attention.  .  .  . 
Without  marked  distinction  for  legal  learning,  he  would  be  more 
truthfully  described  as  a  successful  practitioner  of  law,  main- 
taining a  respectable  position,  whether  discharging  faithfully 
the  duty  that  grows  out  of  the  ordinary  collection  of  debts,  or 
unfolding  the  powers  of  argument  before  the  jury  or  the  court." 

Mr.  Willis  states  that  "Mr.  Perley  was  faithful  and  firm  in 
advancing  the  interests  of  the  town  where  he  resided."  He 
represented  Hallowell  in  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
in  1804,  and  again  in  1816;  and  "discharged  with  integrity  all 
his  political  duties.  Uniformly  patriotic,  with  enlightened  zeal 
he  always  upheld  the  best  interests  of  our  country."  ' 

One  marked  characteristic  of  "Squire  Perley"  was  his 
ready  wit  and  gift  of  repartee.  His  bon  mots  and  happy  hits 
were  repeated  over  and  over  by  his  colleagues  of  the  Kennebec 
bar;  but  Mr.  Perley  himself  "appeared  wholly  unconscious  of 
any  such  power  of  utterance.  Unmoved  and  even  sedate  in 
manner,  he  seemed  surprised,  at  the  moment,  with  the  delight 
which  the  circle  around  him  manifested."  ^  By  this  felicity 
and  spontaneity  of  expression,  Mr.  Perley  acquired  the 
reputation  of  being  "the  greatest  wit  of  the  Kennebec  bar." 

Nathaniel  Perley  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Richard  and 
Judith  Dummer  of  Newbury,  and  sister  of  Hon.  Nathaniel 
Dummer  of  Hallowell.  The  Perley s  resided  in  the  fine  old 
house  on  Second  Street,  afterwards  successively  occupied  by 
Mr.  Jesse  Aiken  and  Mr.  Elbridge  Rollins,  and  now  owned  by 
Miss  Clara  Stintson.  The  home  of  the  Perley s  was  the  abode 
of  hospitality  and  generous  social  life.  The  genial  character  of 
the  host,  his  remarkable  conversational  powers  and  ready  wit 
added  great  attraction  to  his  hospitable  board.  Many  distin- 
guished people  were  entertained  by  Squire  Perley  and  his 
charming  wife.  Among  their  frequent  guests  were  Chief 
Justice  Parsons  and  his  wife;  and  other  judges  and  many  noted 
lawyers  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts,  whose  duties 
brought  them  to  the  Kennebec. 

Nathaniel  Perley  died  ,  in  1824.     Mrs.   Mary  Dummer 

^  The  Law,  the  Courts,  and  the  Lawyers  of  Maine,  p.  202. 
2  Charles  Dummer,  Esq, 


Wilde 


139 


Perley  died  January  7,  1838.  Their  last  surviving  daughter 
was  Louisa,  the  wife  of  John  P.  Dumont,  Esq.,  of  Hallowell. 

Hon.  Samuel  Sumner  Wilde,  who  has  been  called  ''one  of 
the  greatest  ornaments  of  the  Maine  bar,"  was  born  February 
5,  1771.  He  was  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Anna  Sumner  Wilde 
of  Taunton,  Massachusetts.  In  1789,  he  completed  his  colle- 
giate course  at  Dartmouth,  and  then  read  law  with  Judge 
Barnes  of  Taunton.  In  1799,  he  removed  to  Hallowell;  and, 
''having  no  superior  at  the  bar,  and  indeed  no  equal,"  he  built 
up  a  large  practice  and  soon  attained  a  position  which  reflected 
great  honor  upon  the  town,  and  the  county  of  Kennebec. 

In  speaking  of  Judge  Wilde's  professional  career  at 
Hallowell,  Chief  Justice  Shaw  once  said:  "By  the  course  of 
his  early  studies,  and  by  extensive  practice  at  the  bar  with 
eminent  lawyers,  his  contemporaries,  he  acquired,  before  his 
elevation  to  the  bench,  a  deep  and  thoroughly  accurate  knowl- 
edge of  the  great  principles  and  rules  of  the  common  law  in  all ' 
its  various  ramifications.  .  .  .  Practicing  in  a  part  of  the 
Commonwealth  where  great  interests  were  drawn  in  question, 
depending  on  the  law  of  real  property;  where  the  highest 
honors  and  awards  of  the  profession  awaited  the  practicer  who 
was  best  versed  in  the  knowledge  and  practice  of  this  branch 
of  the  law,  his  mind  became  so  familiar  with  its  minute  and 
apparently  subtle  distinctions  that  he  could  apply  them 
promptly,  like  simplest  principles,  to  complicated  cases."  ^ 

In  1 81 7,  when  the  brilliant  reputation  of  this  early  and 
most  successful  practitioner  at  Hallowell  had  reached  its 
height,  the  honor  of  an  appointment  as  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  was  conferred  upon  him.  Judge  Wilde  continued  to 
reside  in  Hallowell  until  the  separation  of  Maine  from  Massa- 
chusetts, in  1820,  at  which  time  he  removed/  to  Newburyport. 
For  thirty-five  years  he  adorned-  the  bench  "by  sound  learning, 
undeviating  impartiality,  and  great  dignity  of  deportment." 
At  the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years,  he  resigned  his  office ; 


^  The  Law,  the  Courts,  and  the  Lawyers  of  Maine,  p.  176. 


140  Old  Hallow  ell  on  the  Kennebec 

and  the  bench  and  bar,  at  that  time,  manifested  by  appropriate 
resolutions,  "their  high  sense  of  his  ability  and  uprightness 
through  the  whole  course  of  his  ofificial  judicial  life."  The 
degree  of  LL.  D.  was  conferred  upon  Judge  Wilde  by 
Bowdoin,  Dartmouth,  and  Harvard  colleges. 

In  1792,  Samuel  Sumner  Wilde  married  Miss  Eunice 
Cobb,  daughter  of  General  David  Cobb  of  Taunton.  Their 
children  were:  William  Cobb,  b.  1792;  Eunice  Cobb,  b.  1794,  m. 
Williams  Emmons;  Samuel  Sumner,  b.  1796;  Eleanor  Bradish, 
b.  1798,  m.  John  Wendell  Mellen,  of  Cambridge;  George 
Cobb,  b.  1800,  m.  Ann  Janette  Druce,  daughter  of  Lemuel 
Brown,  of  Wrentham;  Caroline  Elizabeth,  b.  1802,  m.  Hon. 
Caleb  Gushing  of  Newburyport;  Henry  Jackson,  b.  1804,  m. 
Ellen  Maria  Whitney  of  Wrentham;  Isaac  Parker,  b.  1808; 
Ann  Sumner,  b.  1809,  m.  first,  Frederick  W.  Doane,  second, 
Robert  Farley  of  Ipswich. 

Judge  Wilde  and  his  family  resided  in  the  fine  old  mansion 
known  to  a  later  generation  as  the  Emmons  house.  This 
house,  in  point  of  architectural  style  and  interior  finish,  was 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  town.  Its  long  piazzas,  its 
spacious  hall,  its  arched  doorways,  and  its  elegant  drawing 
room  with  colonial  mantlepieces  and  elaborately  carved  wood- 
work, gave  to  the  house  an  air  of  state  and  elegance  not 
surpassed  in  any  of  the  old-time  mansions  of  Hallowell. 

In  his  home  life  Judge  Wilde  was  always  cordial,  genial 
and  affable.  His  intercourse  with  his  fellovvmen  was  always 
marked  by  warmth  and  kindness  of  heart,  and  courtesy  of 
manner.  "The  private  and  personal  worth  of  this  eminent 
magistrate  was  in  strict  harmony  with  his  official  merits,  and, 
indeed,  formed  a  part  of  them.  His  bearing  upon  the  bench 
indicated  the  man.  Simple  in  his  tastes,  of  industrious  habits, 
of  a  cheerful  spirit,  of  warm  domestic  affections,  and  strong 
rehgious  faith,  he  never  lost  his  interest  in  life,  and  nothing  of 
him  but  his  body  grew  old.  He  was  frank,  direct,  calmly 
courageous,  and  of  unalloyed  simplicity;  caring  as  little  to 
conceal  what  he  was,  as  to  affect  what  he  was  not."  ' 


^  Willis'  The  Law^  the  Courts,  and  the  Lawyers  of  Maine,  p.  178. 


JuDGK  vSamuel  Sumner  Wilde 


Bond 


141 


Mrs.  Eunice  Wilde  died  June  6,  1826.  Judge  Samuel  S. 
Wilde  died  June  25,  1855. 

The  first  student  who  fitted  for  Harvard  at  the  Hallowell 
Academy  was  Thomas  Bond.  He  was  a  young  man  of  excep- 
tional ability  who  had  maintained  high  rank  during  his  course  of 
study.  After  his  graduation  from  college  in  1 801,  he  entered 
the  law  office  of  Samuel  Wilde  in  Hallowell,  in  order  to  prepare 
himself  for  practice  at  the  Maine  bar.  Thomas  Bond  was  the 
son  of  Thomas  Bond  of  Augusta,  and  a  descendant  of  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Watertown,  Massachusetts.  He  was  a 
diligent  student,  and  evinced  such  aptitude  for  the  law  that, 
upon  his  admittance  to  the  bar,  Mr.  Wilde  at  once  took  him 
into  partnership  with  himself.  Mr.  Bond  thus  began  his 
practice  in  Hallowell  under  the  most  favorable  auspices.  ''No 
better  proof,"  writes  Mr.  Willis,  ''can  be  furnished  of  the  high 
qualities  of  Mr.  Bond  than  this  substantial  token  of  his  merit." 

On  December  i,  1805,  Mr.  Bond  married  Lucretia  F. 
Page,  daughter  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Page.  The  children  of  this 
marriage  were:  Francis  Eugene,  born  February  7,  1808;  died 
September  5,  1840.  Lucretia,  born  January  17,  1810;  married 
Dr.  Franklin  Page  of  Augusta;  died  1846.  Caroline  M.,  born 
January  9,  181 5,  married  Thomas  H.  Sanford  of  New  York;  died 
January  11,  1853. 

During  the  first  years  of  their  married  life,  the  Bonds  lived 
in  the  house  south  of  the  Hallowell  House.  Mr.  Bond  after- 
wards built  the  large  and  handsome  house  on  Warren  Street, 
subsequently  occupied  by  the  Glaziers,  and  still  later  by  the 
Atkins  family. 

In  181 5,  Samuel  Wilde  was  appointed  to  the  Supreme 
Bench ;  and  the  whole  of  the  extensive  law  bi^siness  of  the  firm 
of  Wilde  and  Bond  was  from  that  time  conducted  by  the  junior 
partner.  "His  labors  became  severe  and  responsible;  it  was  a 
hard  task  to  sustain  the  structure  which  had  rested  on  the 
athletic  shoulders  of  Wilde;  but  Mr.  Bond  acquitted  himself 
with  ability,  both  in  the  details  of  the  office  and  the  wider 
fields  of  the  forum.    For  more  than  twenty  years  he  maintained 


142 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kefinebec 


a  high  and  honorable  position  at  the  bar  and  in  society,  faith- 
fully fulfilling  all  trusts,  and  acquiring  the  reputation  of  a 
sound  lawyer,  an  ingenious  advocate,  and  an  upright  man." 

During  all  the  years  of  arduous  labor  in  his  profession, 
Mr.  Bond  found  time  to  devote  to  the  political  interests  of  his 
town  and  county.  He  represented  Hallowell  in  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  in  1 813-14;  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Maine  senate  from  Kennebec  in  1822-23. 

Hon.  Thomas  Bond  died  suddenly,  March  29,  1827.  "The 
Supreme  Judicial  Court  was  then  in  session,  and  upon  the 
announcement  of  his  death,  by  Peleg  Sprague,  Judge  Weston 
as  a  tribute  of  respect  ordered  an  immediate  adjournment  of 
the  court,  and  the  bar  resolved  to  attend  his  funeral  and  wear 
crape  upon  the  left  arm  for  thirty  days  as  a  mark  of  respect  for 
their  deceased  brother.  The  resolutions  placed  on  record  by 
the  Kennebec  bar  have  preserved  the  following  tribute  to  the 
character  of  Mr.  Bond:  ''His  undeviating  rectitude  and  distin- 
guished ability  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  the  uniform 
sanity  of  his  demeanor,  the  unstained  purity  of  his  private  life 
and  scrupulous  discharge  of  every  duty,  secured  to  him  the 
respect  of  the  Bench,  the  affection  of  his  brethren,  the  esteem 
of  his  acquaintances,  and  the  confidence  of  the  community."  ' 

In  1 817,  two  years  after  Judge  Wilde  had  been  appointed 
to  the  Supreme  Bench,  and  at  the  time  when  Thomas  Bond 
was  just  rising  into  eminence  at  the  Kennebec  bar,  another 
young  lawyer  of  great  promise  opened  an  office  in  Hallowell. 
This  was  Peleg  Sprague,  afterwards  the  distinguished  Judge  of 
the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  Massachusetts. 

Peleg  Sprague  was  born  April  28,  1793,  the  son  of  Seth 
and  Deborah  Sprague  of  Duxbury,  and  a  descendant  of  William 
Sprague  who  settled  in  Salem,  in  1629.  He  was  graduated 
*'with  prominent  honor,"  from  Harvard  College  in  the  brilliant 
class  of  1 812.  His  ''performance"  at  Commencement  was  a 
dissertation  on  "the  Superiority  of  Modern  Europe." 


^  'North's  History  0/  Augusia,  p.  806, 


Sprague 


143 


After  his  graduation,  Mr.  Sprague  continued  his  studies  at 
the  law  school  of  Judges  Reeves  and  Gould,  in  Litchfield, 
Connecticut,  which  offered  unusual  advantages  to  the  student  at 
that  time.  In  181 5,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  came  first 
to  Augusta,  but  two  years  later  settled  for  the  practice  of  his 
profession  at  Hallowell. 

"The  bar  of  Kennebec,"  writes  WiUis,  contained  able 
lawyers  and  advocates;  among  them  were  Judges  Bridge  and 
Fuller,  Ruel  Williams,  Frederic  Allen,  Thomas  Bond,  and 
Timothy  Boutelle.  It  required  industry,  perseverance,  and  a 
high  ambition,  as  well  as  intellectual  powers,  to  compete 
successfully  with  such  men  who  had  acquired  the  confidence  of 
the  communities  in  which  they  lived,  by  ability  and  honorable 
practice.  But  Mr.  Sprague,  nothing  discouraged  by  such  an 
array  of  talent,  but  rather  stimulated  by  it,  steadily  and 
patiently  waited  for  the  success  that  was  sure  to  follow  a 
persistent  and  earnest  endeavor  to  attain  the  higher  ranks  and 
honors  of  the  profession.  His  agreeable  and  eloquent  manner 
as  an  advocate,  his  acknowledged  ability  as  a  lawyer,  soon 
introduced  him  to  a  profitable  business.  .  .  .  The  death  in 
1827,  of  Mr.  Bond,  of  the  same  town,  who  was  enjoying  the 
entire  confidence  of  the  people,  in  his  profession,  gave  an 
accession  to  the  engagements  of  Mr.  Sprague,  and  a  more 
prominent  position. 

''Mr.  Sprague's  style  of  speaking,  both  at  the  bar  and  in 
public  assemblies,  was  so  entirely  different  from  what  the 
people  in  the  county  had  been  accustomed  to  hear,  that  it 
attracted  them  by  its  novelty,  and  interested  them  by  its 
beauty.  .  .  .  And  his  popularity  was  not  confined  to  the  bar, 
but  extended  through  the  community,  and  made  him  a  desirable 
candidate  for  pubHc  office.  ...  In  1820,  he  was  elected  a 
representative  from  Hallowell  to  the  first  legislature  of  the  new 
state,  and  re-elected  the  subsequent  year.  His  political  course 
was  now  onward."  ^  In  1824,  Mr.  Sprague  was  elected  to 
Congress  from  the  Kennebec  district;  and  again,  to  the 
Twentieth  Congress.    "During  both  of  these  terms,  he  engaged 


I  Willis  p.  628-^. 


144 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


in  debates  on  important  questions,  and  always  attracted  atten- 
tion by  his  able  and  eloquent  advocacy  of  the  measures  which 
he  espoused."  ^ 

During  his  two  terms  as  representative  in  congress,  Mr. 
Sprague  became  so  popular,  both  at  home  and  in  political 
circles  at  Washington,  that  in  1829,  he  was  chosen  senator  to 
succeed  General  Chandler.  His  service  in  the  senate  was 
marked  by  unimpeachable  integrity  and  distinguished  honor; 
his  reputation  was  that  of  an  able,  intrepid,  sagacious,  and 
eloquent  statesman. 

On  July  14,  1834,  when  Senator  Sprague  returned  from 
Congress,  he  was  given  a  great  ovation  by  the  people  of  the 
three  sister  towns  of  Hallowell,  Augusta,  and  Gardiner.  As 
soon  as  it  was  announced  that  Mr.  Sprague  would  arrive  by 
the  stage  route  from  Brunswick,  there  was  a  spontaneous 
outburst  of  enthusiasm.  The  people  of  Hallowell  assembled 
on  horses,  in  chaises,  barouches,  and  other  carriages,  and  were 
joined  by  a  cavalcade  of  thirty  or  forty  riders  on  horseback  and 
a  large  number  of  chaises  from  Augusta.  This  wildly  enthu- 
siastic retinue  then  proceeded  to  Gardiner,  where  the  towns- 
people had  formed  in  procession.  Here  an  elegant  barouche 
drawn  by  four  handsome  gray  horses,  awaited  the  home-coming 
senator.  Accompanied  in  this  carriage  by  Judge  Kingsbury 
and  Hon.  George  Evans,  Senator  Sprague  was  escorted  to 
Hallowell  like  an  old  Roman  returning  in  triumph  from  his 
conquests.  The  cavalcade  was  mile  in  length;  and  it  was 
said  that  every  presentable  carriage  in  the  three  towns  was  in 
evidence  on  this  occasion.  The  procession  passed  through 
streets  decorated  with  flags  and  patriotic  mottos,  and  the 
saying,  'T  AM  NO  MAN'S  MAN,"  from  Senator  Sprague's 
speech  on  the  President's  Protest^  was  conspicuous  on  the 
banners. 

After  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Sprague  and  his  constituents  at 
the  Hallowell  House,  a  speech  of  welcome  was  made  by  Mr. 
Richard  H.  Vose  of  Augusta.  Mr.  Sprague  then  addressed, 
from  the  balcony,  the  enthusiastic  crowds  below,  and  paid  a 


I  Willis,  p.  628-9. 


Warren 


145 


warm  tribute  to  the  constancy  of  the  Whig  party  in  support  of 
the  principles  it  professed. 

In  1835,  Mr.  Sprague  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Senate  and 
estabUshed  himself  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Boston. 
New  honors  here  awaited  him;  and  in  1841,  on  the  retirement 
of  the  venerable  and  honored  Judge  Davis  from  the  bench  of 
the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Sprague  was 
appointed  to  that  office.  In  1847,  Harvard  College  bestowed 
upon  Judge  Sprague  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 

Judge  Sprague  married  Sarah  Deming  of  Utica,  New 
York,  a  native  of  Berlin,  Connecticut.  They  had  three  sons 
and  one  daughter:  Charles  F.,  born  May  25,  1819,  died  1840, 
aged  twenty-one  years;  Seth  Edward,  born  April  12,  1822,  a 
graduate  of  Harvard  in  1 841,  and  of  the  Law  School  in  1843, 
and  afterwards  clerk  of  the  United  States  District  Court  in 
Massachusetts;  Francis  Peleg,  graduate  of  Harvard  Medical 
School  in  1857;  ^nd  Sarah,  born  May  7,  1828,  wife  of  George 
P.  Upham,  a  merchant  of  Boston.  ' 

A  contemporary  journal  in  writing  of  Senator  Sprague, 
makes  this  comment:  "Mr.  Sprague  richly  merits  all  the 
honors  that  have  been  bestowed  upon  him.  Throughout  his 
public  life  his  course  has  been  consistent,  honorable  to  himself, 
and  useful  to  his  country.  In  private  life  his  character  is 
unexceptionable.  Such  men  are  invaluable.  They  cannot  be 
too  highly  estimated." 

Hon.  Ebenezer  T.  Warren,  born  at  Foxborough,  Massachu- 
setts, September  11,  1779,  was  the  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Ann 
Warren.  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1800,  and 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1803.  He  soon  after  established  himself 
at  Hallowell ;  and  by  his  ability,  his  generous  i^ature,  his  cordial 
manners,  and  his  devoted  public  spirit,  he  acquired  a  large 
practice  and  attained  an  eminent  place  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Warren  married  Abiah,  daughter  of  William  and 
Tryphena  Morse,    Their  children  were :  Ann  Tryphena,  born 

^  The  Law.  the  Courts,  and  the  Lawyers  of  Maine,  p.  634. 


146 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


November  14,  1810,  and  John,  born  September  20,  1816. 
Being  possessed  of  ample  means,  Mr.  Warren  built  for  his 
home  the  large,  handsome  house  on  the  corner  of  Central  and 
Warren  Streets,  known  in  more  recent  years  as  the  main 
building  of  the  Classical  School.  The  beautiful  home  of  the 
Warrens  was  maintained  in  elegance  and  luxury ;  and  traditions 
still  exist  of  the  delightful  hospitality  dispensed  beneath  its 
roof.  When  the  house  was  first  completed,  an  old-time  house- 
warming  was  given  at  which  a  large  number  of  the  friends  and 
relatives  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warren  were  sumptuously  enter- 
tained. Soon  after  this,  a  "splendid  ball"  was  given  in  honor 
of  the  daughter  of  the  house.  Miss  Anne  Warren.  It  is  stated 
by  Rev.  John  S.  C.  Abbott  that  in  "style  of  living,  dress,  and 
address,"  the  Warrens  were  "ornaments  to  society." 

In  addition  to  the  erection  of  his  fine  residence,  Mr. 
Warren  built  two  blocks  of  stores  in  Hallowell.  He  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  development  of  the  place  and  exerted 
all  his  efforts  to  promote  its  financial  prosperity.  He  was 
president  of  the  Hallowell  Bank  when  that  unfortunate  insti- 
tution became  insolvent ;  and  he  unselfishly  sacrificed  the  most 
of  his  own  property  to  sustain  the  credit  of  this  bank. 

In  the  hope  of  retrieving  his  fortunes,  Mr.  Warren  under- 
took the  business  of  settling  some  war  claims  in  Illinois  that 
had  been  granted  to  the  soldiers  of  181 2.  In  order  to  transact 
this  business,  Mr.  Warren  was  obliged  to  go  to  Illinois;  and 
while  in  that  state,  he  died  very  suddenly  in  August,  1 829,  from 
an  illness  resulting  from  exposure  during  a  night's  drive  across 
the  prairies. 

The  news  of  the  sad  and  unexpected  death  of  Mr.  Warren 
cast  a  great  gloom  over  his  townspeople  in  Hallowell  where  he 
was  greatly  beloved  and  esteemed.  Through  his  death  the 
legal  profession  of  Maine  suffered  an  acknowleged  loss;  and 
"resolutions"  expressive  of  sorrow  and  lasting  esteem  were 
passed  by  the  bar  of  which  he  was  a  worthy  and  honored 
member. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Warren,  the  beautiful  house  that 
he  had  built  for  his  family  passed  through  the  hands  of  several 
successive  owners.    It  was  occupied,  at  one  time,  by  Judge 


Otis 


147 


Samuel  Wells,  afterwards  by  Colonel  Thomas  Andrews,  then 
passed  into  the  possession  of  Hon.  John  Otis.  It  next  became 
the  residence  of  Moses  Lakeman;  and  was  subsequently 
purchased  and  enlarged  for  the  use  of  the  Hallowell  Classical 
School. 

The  Hon.  John  Otis  was  born  August  3,  1801.  He  was 
the  son  of  Oliver  and  Betsey  Stanchfield  Otis  of  Leeds,  Maine, 
and  was  descended  from  the  Otis  family  of  Massachusetts  of 
which  James  Otis  and  Harrison  Gray  Otis  were  representative 
members.  With  this  ancestry  behind  him,  and  having  the 
advantages  of  a  liberal  education,  Mr.  Otis  naturally  possessed 
those  personal  and  mental  qualities  which  won  for  him  the 
sincere  regard  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  and  rendered  him 
successful  in  his  professional  life.  He  was  graduated  from 
Bowdoin  College  in  1823,  read  law  with  Peleg  Sprague,  and 
commenced  practice  in  Hallowell  in  1826,  at  the  time  when 
Mr.  Sprague  was  just  entering  upon  his  congressional  career. 

In  1824,  the  forty-eighth  anniversary  of  the  American' 
Independence  was  celebrated  with  much  interest  by  the 
citizens  of  Hallowell;  and  Mr.  Otis,  then  a  young  law  student 
in  the  office  of  Judge  Peleg  Sprague,  was  invited  to  deliver  the 
Fourth  of  July  oration.  *'The  day  was  uncommonly  fine;  and 
everything  concurred  to  render  the  celebration  highly  inter- 
esting and  satisfactory.  At  eleven  o'clock  a  procession  was 
formed  at  Mr.  Dillingham's  hotel,  and  proceeded  to  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Gillet's  meeting-house,  where  a  pure  and  classical  oration 
was  pronounced  by  Mr.  John  Otis,  in  which  he  entered  into  an 
examination  of  the  present  state  of  liberty  in  our  own  country 
and  in  Europe,  and  the  reciprocal  influence  of  the  institutions 
and  political  systems  of  the  two  continents  upon  each  other. 
The  style  was  clear  and  forcible  and  the  pentiments  highly 
patriotic."  ^  / 

The  celebration  of  the  Fourth  in  Hallowell  was  always  a 
great  event,  which  commanded  the  best  talent  of  the  town  and 
called  out  large  audiences.    It  is  interesting  to  know  that  on 


^  American  Advocate,  July  lo,  1824. 


148 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  day  of  Mr.  Otis*  oration  "the  wall  pews  and  galleries  were 
reserved  for  the  ladies,  whose  presence  added  great  eclat  to 
the  occasion." 

On  January  12,  1831,  Mr.  Otis  married  Harriet  Frances 
Vaughan,  daughter  of  Colonel  William  Oliver  Vaughan,  and 
granddaughter  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan.  The  children  of 
this  marriage  were:  William  Oliver,  b.  December  18,  1831,  d. 
January  i,  1888;  Maria,  b.  September  30,  1834,  m.  William  H. 
Merrick,  October  18,  1854;  John,  b.  December  24,  1836,  d. 
October  i6j  1838;  Frances,  b.  May  17,  1839,  d.  June  13,  1839; 
Benjamin  Vaughan,  b.  May  15,  1840,  d.  September  24,  1861; 
John,  b.  July  16,  1843;  Frances,  b.  September  25,  1845,  d. 
December,  i860. 

Mrs.  Harriet  Frances  Vaughan  Otis  died  July  26,  1846. 
On  August  21,  1848,  Mr.  Otis  married  Ellen  Grant,  daughter 
of  Captain  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Frances  Vaughan  Grant. 
Mrs.  Ellen  Grant  Otis  was  a  granddaughter  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
Vaughan,  and  a  cousin  of  the  first  wife  of  Mr.  Otis.  The 
children  of  John  and  Ellen  Grant  Otis  were:  Samuel  Grant, 
Mary,  and  Elizabeth  Grant. 

Mr.  Otis,  a  man  of  keen  intellect,  and  of  unusual  legal  abil- 
ity, possessed  those  qualities  of  mind  that  eminently  fitted  him 
for  membership  in  a  deliberative  or  legislative  assembly.  Like 
many  of  the  eminent  lawyers  of  his  day,  he  became  interested 
in  politics,  and  was  chosen  to  represent  Hallowell  in  the  state 
legislature.  He  soon  rose  to  prominence  in  the  Whig  party, 
and  became  one  of  its  recognized  leaders.  In  1 841,  he  was 
appointed  a  member  of  the  United  States  Commission  on  the 
North  Eastern  Boundary  Question.  In  1848,  Mr.  Otis  was 
elected  representative  from  the  first  district  of  Maine  to  the 
Thirty-first  Congress,  in  which  he  "served  with  ability  and 
distinction,  and  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  passage 
of  the  act  reducing  the  high  rate  of  postage."  ' 

The  Washington  Correspondent  of  the  Philadelphia  In- 
quirer at  this  time  wrote:  "Hon.  John  Otis  of  Maine,  at 
present  acting  as  chairm.an  of  the  Committee  on  Patents  of  the 


^  Hon.  Frederick  Allen. 


Otis 


149 


House  of  Representatives,  is  a  man  of  splendid  business 
capacity  and  pursues  his  object  with  a  perseverance  and  energy- 
sure  to  accompHsh  success." 

Mr.  Otis'  career  in  Washington  was  such  as  won  for  him 
many  warm  friends  and  admirers;  and  at  the  close  of  his  last 
term  of  office,  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
arose  in  a  body  and  cheered  him  as  he  left  the  hall.  This  was 
a  spontaneous  tribute  in  recognition  of  the  public  services  and 
personal  popularity  of  Mr.  Otis. 

Hon.  Frederick  Allen,  in  his  sketches  of  the  Early 
Lawyers  of  Lincoln  and  Kennebec  Counties,''  states  that  Mr. 
Otis  was  "bland  and  courteous  in  his  manners  and  address; 
and  distinguished  for  his  kindness  of  heart  and  disposition." 
This  kindliness  was  very  forcibly  shown  in  his  relations  with 
the  young  men  and  boys  who  worked  for  him  or  studied  in  his 
office.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  Mr.  Otis  always  gave  a 
loan  of  five  hundred  dollars  to  any  of  the  young  men  who 
desired  it  upon  leaving  his  employ.  Among  the  men  whom 
Mr.  Otis  thus  started  in  life,  and  whose  subsequent  careers 
must  have  proved  a  satisfaction  to  him,  were  Elihu  Washburne, 
Secretary  of  State,  and  Minister  to  France  in  1869-70,  and 
General  Oliver  O.  Howard,  Maine's  famous  hero  of  the  Civil 
War. 

In  a  letter  recently  written  to  Mr.  Samuel  G.  Otis  of 
Hallo  well,  General  Howard  pays  a  warm  tribute  to  the  bene- 
factor of  his  youth.  This  letter  affords  a  pleasant  glimpse  into 
the  home  life  of  the  Otis  family,  which  many  of  the  Hallowell 
friends  will  recognize  as  not  only  delightful  but  genuinely  true. 

"Among  my  earliest  recollections,"  writes  General  Howard, 
"was  the  devotion  of  my  mother  to  her  brother,  John  Otis, 
Esq.,  of  Hallowell,  Maine.  She  spoke  of  him  often  and  of 
Aunt  Frances,  his  wife.  My  mother  alw/kys  expressed  a 
sisterly  interest  in  everything  that  concerned  his  welfare.  As 
the  children  came,  one  by  one,  William,  Maria,  Vaughan,  and 
John,  they  seemed  to  me  like  a  part  of  our  own  household.  At 
least  once  a  year,  when  the  weather  was  warm  and  comfortable, 
your  father  was  accustomed  to  take  Aunt  Frances,  WilHam, 
and  Maria  in  his  beautiful  chaise  and  drive  out  twenty  miles  to 


150 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Leeds  to  our  home.  His  horse,  harness,  and  carriage  were 
finer  than  any  others  that  came  to  our  house.  ...  I  can 
recollect  your  father's  voice  as  he  laughed  and  talked.  It  was 
a  very  sweet,  cheery,  strong  voice.  In  conversation  he  had  a 
charm  about  him  that  won  men  to  his  way  of  thinking,  and  a 
courtesy  to  women  that  was  remarkable.    .    .  . 

''My  mother  arranged  with  him  when  I  was  eleven  years 
old  to  go  to  his  home  in  Hallowell  and  do  as  my  cousin,  Addison 
Martin,  had  done,  namely,  take  care  of  the  horse  and  cow  and 
stable  and  do  all  the  ordinary  chores  which  a  man  or  boy  would 
do  for  any  household.  I  was  to  keep  myself  in  proper  trim  to 
associate  with  my  cousins,  and  was  to  go  to  school  every  day 
while  school  lasted.    .    .  . 

''When  your  brother  William,  in  1850,  was  appointed  to 
West  Point  as  a  cadet,  your  father  was  then  a  member  of  the 
House  of  Representatives.  .  .  .  William  failed  in  his  physical 
examination.  His  chest  was  not  broad  enough  to  meet  the 
requirement  in  physical  development.  I  understood  that  your 
father  said  he  would  send  a  young  man  in  his  place  who  was 
strong  enough  physically  to  pass  the  examination.  He  had  me 
in  mind  when  he  made  that  remark.  I  was  nineteen  years  of 
age  when  I  received  the  appointment.  ...  I  never  saw 
very  much  of  your  father  after  his  second  marriage  though  I 
knew  your  mother  very  well  when  we  were  both  children. 
She  was  a  very  frank,  hearty,  and  handsome  girl  and  quite  a 
favorite  among  the  young  people  about  the  time  I  left  Hallowell 
for  my  home  in  Leeds.    .    .  . 

''At  one  time  your  brother  William  and  myself  with  a  few 
other  boys  were  sitting  in  a  pew  in  the  gallery  of  the  Old 
South  Church.  I  think  we  must  have  whispered,  laughed,  and 
probably  made  some  little  disturbance  as  boys  sometimes  do 
during  the  service.  One  of  the  deacons  of  the  church  came  to 
the  pew,  seized  each  boy  by  the  collar  and  led  him  out,  and,  if 
I  remember  rightly,  sent  us  home.  My  uncle,  your  father,  was 
very  much  offended  at  this  act,  and  would  never  go  to  that 
church  again.  When  he  did  go  to  church,  he  attended  the 
Unitarian,  which  was  nearer  to  his  house  than  the  Old  South. 
Aunt  Frances  was  very  much  afflicted  because  of  this  jar  in 


Emmons 


151 


the  church  relationship.  With  his  consent,  however,  she  always 
attended  the  Old  South  with  us  children,  and  kept  up  her 
relationship  there.  This  one  incident  indicated  to  me  your 
father's  readiness  to  defend  his  family.  What  he  resented  was 
the  violent  conduct  of  the  deacon  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
congregation  towards  William  and  myself.  He  would  have 
thanked  him  for  reporting  our  misbehavior,  or  any  misbehavior 
on  our  part. 

"Now  I  think  I  can  give  you  the  impressions  which  I  have 
had  of  your  good  father  all  my  life.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent 
character,  of  high  standing  in  the  community,  a  good  represen- 
tative in  Congress,  always  belonging  to  the  Whig  party.  He 
was  a  great  reader,  fond  of  English  publications,  and  kept 
abreast  of  the  times  in  everything  that  concerned  the  public 
good.  It  seems  to  me  to-day  that  a  member  of  Congress  like 
him  was  held  in  higher  esteem  by  the  entire  district  in  which 
he  lived  than  are  representatives  of  to-day.  ...  At  home 
no  father  could  be  more  thoroughly  gentle  and  kind.  It  was 
a  joy  to  him  to  have  his  children  come  into  the  library  to 
consult  him  about  their  studies.  I  remember  how  he  aided  me 
in  my  early  attempts  at  composition  by  a  few  suggestions  and 
well  chosen  words.  ...  I  have  always  loved  my  Uncle 
John;  and  he  has  been  a  model  to  me,  among  our  numerous 
relatives,  a  model  of  good  breeding,  of  virtue,  of  culture,  of 
refinement,  of  manliness." 

The  Hon.  John  Otis  died  October  17,  1856.  After  his 
death,  the  family  removed  from  the  Otis'  house  on  Central 
Street  to  the  old  Grant  mansion  which  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Samuel  Grant  Otis  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Otis. 


Judge  Williams  Emmons  was  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Nathaniel 
and  Martha  Emmons  of  Franklin,  Massachusetts.  Nathaniel 
Emmons,  the  father  of  Williams  Emmons,  was  a  graduate  of 
Yale  in  1 767,  and  a  congregational  minister  who  had  the  very 
remarkable  record  of  having  occupied  the  pulpit  for  seventy 
years.    He  was  a  man  of  distinction  in  his  day;  and  his  sermons 


152  Old  Hallow  ell  on  the  Kennebec 


and  other  writings  were  published  m  several  volumes  after  his 
death  in  1840.  He  lived  to  the  great  age  of  ninety-six  years, 
and  always  wore  the  small-clothes  and  cocked-up  hat  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  Of  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Emmons,  D.  D., 
Mr.  John  H.  Sheppard  writes  as  follows:  well  remember 
the  admiration  this  venerable  man  excited,  as  he  entered  the 
sanctuary  in  Hallo  well,  three  years  before  his  death.  It 
seemed  as  though  Elijah,  the  Tishbite,  had  come  again  from 
Mt.  Carmel,  to  point  out  a  little  cloud  of  refreshment  soon  to 
spread  over  our  eastern  horizon,  when  this  venerable  Patriarch 
suddenly  rose  among  us." 

Williams  Emmons,  son  of  Rev.  Nathaniel,  was  born  in 
Franklin,  May  2,  1784.  He  was  graduated  in  1805,  with  high 
honors,  from  Brown  University.  At  the  close  of  his  college 
course,  he  came  to  Hallowell,  and  entered  the  law  office  of 
Judge  Samuel  Wilde.  On  finishing  his  law  studies,  Mr. 
Emmons  began  practice  at  Brown's  Corner,  Vassalborough, 
but  soon  removed  to  Augusta,  where  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Mr.  Benjamin  Whitwell.  In  1832,  Mr.  Emmons  was 
elected  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  Augusta; 
and,  in  1835-6,  he  was  senator  for  Kennebec  County.  He 
removed  from  Augusta  to  Hallowell  in  1835. 

Mr.  Emmons  was  recognized  as  an  able  and  well-read 
lawyer.  He  prepared  his  cases  with  conscientious  painstaking, 
and,  by  his  clear  logical  reasoning,  commended  himself  to  both 
the  jury  and  the  bench.  His  integrity,  his  soundness  of 
judgment,  and  his  thorough  knowledge  of  the  technicalities 
of  the  law  were  unquestioned.  He  was  frequently  appointed 
as  a  referee  in  difficult  cases,  and  his  decisions  were  rarely 
disputed.  He  succeeded  Judge  Fuller  as  Judge  of  Probate 
in  1841. 

In  private  life.  Judge  Emmons  was  highly  esteemed  as  a 
friend  and  neighbor.  North  speaks  of  him  as  a  lawyer  "of 
pleasing  address,  upright  and  honorable  in  practice ;  a  worthy 
citizen  and  a  kind,  considerate  man  of  pure  unblemished 
character." 

Judge  Emmons  married,  May  24,  181 3,  Eunice,  daughter 
of  Judge  Samuel  Wilde.    Their  children  were:    Delia,  born 


Emmons 


153 


March  8,  1814,  married,  September  5,  1838,  Rev.  Benjamin 
Tappan;  and  Eleanor  Bradish  Wilde,  born  July  7,  181 5,  died 
1845.  Mrs.  Eunice  Williams  died  in  1821;  and,  on  September 
22,  1823,  Judge  Emmons  married  Lucy  Vaughan,  daughter  of 
Dr.  Benjamin  and  Sarah  Manning  Vaughan.  Their  children 
were:  Lucy  Maria,  born  September  13,  1824;  Martha  Williams, 
born  May  11,  1827,  died  January  27,  1884;  Nathaniel  Williams, 
born  June  10,  1830,  died  October  17,  1831;  Henry  Vaughan, 
born  November  3,  1832;  Ellen  Sarah,  born  May  25,  1836. 

Judge  Emmons  and  his  family  resided  in  the  fine  old 
mansion  that  had  been  previously  occupied  by  Judge  Wilde, 
Gideon  Farrell,  Esq.,  and  Judge  Pel  eg  Sprague.  The  traditions 
of  hospitality  and  cultured  social  life  that  had  always  been 
associated  with  this  house  were  fully  maintained  during  the 
many  years  of  its  occupancy  by  the  Emmons  family.  The  life 
here  lived  was  a  fine  example  of  that  simple  and  unostentatious 
culture  and  refinement  that  marked  the  homes  of  many  of  the 
old  families  of  Hallo  well.  All  of  the  members  of  the  Emmons 
household  were  actively  interested  in  the  church,  the  library, 
and  all  the  literary  and  philanthropic  movements  in  the  town. 
Miss  Lucy  Emmons  was  for  many  years  librarian  of  the 
Hallowell  Social  Library,  giving  her  services  gratuitously  and 
enthusiastically  to  this  work. 

The  Rev,  Henry  Vaughan  Emmons  is  a  graduate  of 
Amherst  College,  and  a  man  of  rare  scholarly  attainments. 
He  married  September  5,  1855,  Annie  Shepard,  daughter  of 
Rev.  George  Shepard  of  Bangor.  Their  children  are :  Williams, 
Lucy  Vaughan,  Elizabeth  Fuller,  Henry  Manning,  and  Mary 
Williams.  Mr.  Emmons  is  now  the  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  at  Northboro,  Massachusetts. 

Judge  Williams  Emmons  died  at  Hallowell,  October  3, 
1855.  Mrs.  Williams  Emmons  died  March^  18,  1869.  The 
Emmons  mansion,  which  was  in  some  respects  the  most 
beautiful  old  house  in  Hallowell  was  unfortunately  destroyed 
by  fire,  and  with  it  perished  many  valuable  heirlooms,  including 
portraits,  books,  letters,  and  other  valuable  papers,  the  loss  of 
which  must  always  be  deplored. 


154 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Hon.  William  Clark  was  born  in  Hallowell,  October  12, 
1788.  He  was  the  son  of  Isaac  and  Alice  Philbrook  Clark,  and 
grandson  of  Deacon  Pease  Clark.  William  Clark  was  graduated 
from  Bowdoin  College  in  1810  with  a  well-merited  reputation 
for  superior  scholarship.  The  natural  tendency  of  his  mind  is 
indicated  by  the  subject  of  his  commencement  part:  "The 
Moral  Effects  of  Philosophical  Investigation." 

The  Bowdoin  College  records  state  that  Mr.  Clark  was 
"capable  of  profound  research,  and  that  his  retentive  memory 
enabled  him  to  preserve  for  ready  use  the  results  of  his 
extensive  reading  and  study.  As  a  lawyer,  he  ranked  with 
the  foremost  representatives  of  the  Kennebec  bar.  His  profes- 
sional labors  were  characterized  by  undeviating  integrity,  a 
clear  intellectual  insight,  and  a  profound  acquaintance  with  the 
principles  of  the  law.  As  a  legislator,  he  was  zealous  and 
faithful.  His  immediate  influence  was  great,  and  was  exercised 
for  the  right  both  in  action  and  debate." 

Mr.  William  Clark  married,  August  2,  181 8,  Elizabeth 
Bodwell  Morse,  daughter  of  William  and  Tryphena  -Morse,  a 
woman  of  superior  ability  and  most  attractive  personality. 
Their  children  were :  W^illiam  Henry,  Elizabeth,  Charlotte  Ann, 
and  Mary  Mann.  Mr.  William  Henry  Clark,  a  graduate  of 
Bowdoin  (1837),  studied  law,  and  removed  to  San  Francisco, 
where  he  had  a  successful  professional  career.  Charlotte  Clark 
married  Hon.  George  S.  Peters  of  Ellsworth.  Miss  Elizabeth 
Clark  and  Miss  Mary  Clark  are  now  living  in  Waltham, 
Massachusetts. 

Hon.  William  Clark,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  whose  loss 
he  felt  severely,  withdrew  from  active  participation  in  public 
and  professional  life,  and  spent  his  remaining  years  in  almost 
complete  seclusion.  He  occupied  his  time  in  his  favorite 
pursuits,  which  included  the  studies  of  chemistry,  geology, 
mathematics,  and  philosophy.  He  never  lost  his  interest  in 
abstruse  points  of  law,  or  in  discussing  them  in  his  own  home 
with  his  old  associates  of  the  Kennebec  bar.  "Thus  busily, 
yet  quietly,"  writes  his  biographer,  "did  this  sorrow-stricken 
man,  this  intellectual  and  interesting  recluse,  descend  into  the 
vale  of  years.    He  died  May  18,  1855,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six." 


Paine 


In  the  year  1834,  the  mantle  of  the  law,  many  times  honored 
in  Hallowell,  fell  upon  the  shoulders  of  Henry  W.  Paine,  Esq. 
It  is  probable  that  no  advocate  with  a  more  astute  mind  than 
that  of  Mr.  Paine  ever  stood  before  the  Kennebec  bar.  His 
keen  insight  into  abstruse  and  knotty  points  of  the  law  seemed 
intuitive  and  almost  infallible.  It  is  stated  that  he  was  often 
called  upon  as  Referee  and  Master  of  Chancery  in  a  great 
number  of  difficult  and  complicated  cases,  and  that  his  decis- 
ions, which  often  involved  the  unravelling  of  tangled  webs  of 
testimony  and  the  consideration  of  the  nicest  and  most  delicate 
questions  of  the  law,  were  always  "luminous  and  masterly." 

This  eminent  lawyer  was  born  August  30,  1810,  in 
Winslow,  Maine.  He  graduated  at  Waterville  College,  studied 
law  with  William  Clark,  Esq.,  of  Hallowell,  and  for  one  year  in 
the  law  school  of  Harvard  University.  He  began  his  profes- 
sional life  at  Hallowell,  where,  during  the  next  twenty  years, 
he  acquired  a  practice  not  surpassed  by  any  other  Maine  lawyer. 

In  1854,  to  the  great  regret  of  his  many  friends  in  ^ 
Hallowell,  Mr.  Paine  removed  to  Cambridge  and  opened  a 
law  office  in  Boston.  His  practice  and  his  fame  as  a  lawyer 
steadily  increased;  and  he  became  known  as  one  of  the  ablest 
advocates  of  the  Massachusetts  bar.  About  1875,  Mr.  Paine 
withdrew  from  active  practice  in  the  courts  on  account  of  ill 
health  and  partial  deafness,  but  retained  for  ten  years  his  office 
as  lecturer  on  ''the  law  of  real  property"  at  the  law  school  of 
Boston  University.  Mr.  Paine  was  especially  noted  for  his 
tact  and  never-failing  courtesy  in  the  prosecution  of  his  law 
cases.  The  following  story  of  his  ready  wit  is  often  told  in 
Hallowell : 

On  one  occasion  during  Mr.  Paine's  term  of  service  as 
county  attorney,  a  man  who  had  been  indicted  in  Kennebec 
county  for  arson,  was  tried  and  acquitted  by  the  jury  on  the 
ground  that  he  was  an  idiot.  After  the  trial,' the  judge  sought 
to  reconcile  Mr.  Paine  to  the '  verdict  by  some  explanatory 
remarks.  "Oh,  I  am  quite  satisfied,  your  Honor,"  said  Mr. 
Paine,  "with  the  acquittal  of  the  defendant.  He  has  been  tried 
by  a  jury  of  \{v^  peers!' 

Mr.  Paine  married,  May,  1837,  Miss  Lucy  E.  Coffin,  of 


156 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Newburyport,  a  lady  of  rare  mental  endowments  and  endearing 
personality.  Their  daughter,  Miss  Jennie  Warren  Paine,  is 
remembered  with  warm  affection  and  admiration  by  the  friends 
of  her  girlhood.  In  Cambridge,  she  was  recognized  as  a 
thorough  and  brilliant  student,  especially  in  the  languages  and 
the  sciences.  She  was  said  by  Agassiz  to  have  the  brightest 
mind  of  any  young  woman  he  had  ever  met.  Mrs.  Paine  and 
her  daughter  were  bo;:h  interested  in  all  philanthropic  and 
charitable  movements,  and  were  devoted  members  of  the  First 
Parish  Church  of  Cambridge. 

William  Belcher  Glazier  was  born  at  Hallowell,  June  29, 
1827.  He  was  the  son  of  Franklin  Glazier,  Esq.,  well  known 
as  the  head  of  the  publishing  house  of  Glazier,  Masters,  and 
Smith.  Endowed  with  unusual  mental  ability  and  a  most 
engaging  personality,  this  gifted  youth  grew  up  in  the  midst  of 
stimulating  influences,  and  his  talents  matured  early  in  his  life. 
He  graduated  from  Harvard  in  1847,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
years.  He  read  law  in  Hallowell  with  Henry  W.  Paine,  Esq., 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1850,  and  speedily  built  up  a 
reputation  as  a  successful  lawyer,  first  in  Newcastle  and  after- 
wards in  his  native  town.  In  1855,  seeking  a  wider  field  for 
his  professional  labors,  Mr.  Glazier  removed  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  continued  the  practice  of  law  until  his  death 
in  1870. 

In  addition  to  his  brilliant  professional  attainments,  Mr. 
Glazier  possessed  unusual  literary  and  poetic  talent.  He  was 
an  esteemed  contributor  to  the  Knickerbocker  Magazine,  and 
the  author  of  a  volume  of  verse  published  in  Hallowell  in  1853. 
Mr.  Glazier's  poetic  work  was  highly  commended  by  Mr. 
William  Cullen  Bryant,  who  selected  the  lines  entitled  Cape 
Cottage,  as  a  representative  poem  for  the  Library  of  Poetry 
and  Song. 

William  Belcher  Glazier  married,  at  St.  Paul's  church, 
Cincinnati,  January  i,  1863,  Margaret  Lowry,  a  lady  of  Scotch 
parentage,  of  Shelby  County,  Kentucky.  Two  children  of 
this  marriage  are  Margaret  Lowry,  now  Mrs.  Louis  Adams  of 


Judge  Henry  Knox  Baker 


Baker 


157 


Melford,  Ohio,  and  William  L.  Glazier,  Superintendent  of  the 
City  Water  Works,  Newport,  Kentucky. 

The  long  and  honorable  career  of  Judge  Baker  in  Hallowell 
covers  a  period  of  eighty-six  years ;  and  the  impress  of  his  work 
and  character  remains  distinctly  marked  upon  our  newspapers, 
our  public  schools,  our  libraries,  our  banks,  our  courts,  our 
benevolent  institutions,  our  churches,  and  all  that  constitutes 
the  well-being  of  the  town. 

When  Henry  Knox  Baker  first  came,  as  a  youth  of  four- 
teen, to  Hallowell,  he  entered  a  printing  office  as  an  apprentice; 
and  before  he  was  twenty-one,  he  was  duly  installed  as  editor 
of  the  Hallowell  Gazette  and  afterwards  as  editor  of  the 
American  Advertiser.  In  1836,  he  began  the  study  of  law  in 
the  ofiice  of  Samuel  Wells,  and  in  1840,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  He  represented  the  town  of  Hallowell  in  the  Maine 
Legislature  in  1842  and  1844,  and  again  in  1854.  In  1855,  he 
was  appointed  Judge  of  Probate,  an  office  which  he  held  for 
twenty-six  years.  He  was  also  the  founder  and,  for  forty-five 
years,  the  treasurer  of  the  Hallowell  Savings  Institution. 

Judge  Baker  was  deeply  interested  in  all  educational  and 
philanthropic  work;  and  his  work  for  the  Industrial  School, 
and  his  services  as  chairman  of  the  public  school  committee, 
have  long  been  recognized.  He  was  also  an  earnest  supporter 
of  the  mission  of  the  public  library  in  Hallowell.  From  his 
youth.  Judge  Baker  had  been  a  genuine  lover  of  books.  He 
possessed  the  critical  and  literary  instinct,  and  was  himself  a 
ready  writer.  His  published  works  consist  of  poems;  bio- 
graphical and  historical  essays;  sketches  of  foreign  travel;  a 
valuable  work  on  hymnology,  entitled  Studies  In  Sacred  Song; 
and  The  Hallowell  Book,  compiled  after  he  was  ninety  years 
of  age.  For  half  a  century  Judge  Baker  Vas  a  faithful  and 
devout  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church ;  and  his 
whole  life  was  an  example  of  practical  and  consistent  Chris- 
tianity. It  has  been  truly  said  that  Hallowell  never  had  a 
citizen  of  higher  integrity  or  more  constant  devotion  and 
usefulness  than  Judge  Baker." 


158 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Henry  Knox  Baker  was  born  in  Canaan  (now  Skowhegan), 
December  2,  1806.  His  father  was  Amos  Baker,  a  soldier  of 
the  Revolution,  and  a  member  of  the  Life  Guard  of  General 
Washington.  His  mother  was  Betsey  Weston,  a  member  of 
the  prominent  Skowhegan  family  of  that  name.  On  November 
I5>  1^35)  Mr.  Baker  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  W. 
Lord,  daughter  of  Ephraim  and  Sally  Dennis  Lord  of  Hallowell, 
and  a  lineal  descendant  of  Lieutenant  James  Lord,  a  Revolu- 
tionary hero  who  led  his  company  in  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

Mrs.  Baker  was  a  rarely  gifted  woman  of  charming 
personality  and  brilliant  mental  endowments.  Her  devoted 
motherhood  left  its  imprint  upon  her  own  family;  and  her 
fondness  for  other  young  people,  and  the  unusual  felicity  of 
the  welcome  with  which  they  were  always  greeted  under  her 
roof,  rendered  the  Baker  home  one  of  the  most  alluring  and 
enjoyable  in  the  town.  Many  other  children  thus  shared  with 
the  Baker  family  the  helpful  and  elevating  influences  of  a  home 
where  there  was  always  an  atmosphere  of  books,  and  where 
literary  topics  and  the  interesting  questions  of  the  day  were 
freely  discussed. 

When  the  Baker  children  were  small,  it  was  the  custom  of 
their  father  to  read  to  them  every  Sunday  afternoon  from  some 
instructive  but  always  interesting  book,  the  value  of  which 
was  greatly  enhanced  by  the  fact  that  the  children  were  not 
allowed  to  read  it  on  any  other  day.  They  all,  therefore,  looked 
forward  to  the  Sabbath,  not  with  doleful  anticipation,  but  as  a 
bright  and  happy  day  set  apart  for  something  especially  enjoy- 
able. Novels,  however,  were  not  allowed  on  Sunday;  and  on 
one  woeful  occasion  the  Baker  children  came  to  grief.  It 
chanced  that,  on  one  quiet  Sunday  afternoon,  the  father  and 
mother  were  suddenly  disturbed  by  shrieks  of  uproarious 
laughter  from  the  children's  room  above.  The  mother  imme- 
diately went  up-stairs  to  learn  the  cause  of  this  unseemly  mirth, 
and  found  her  little  daughters  sitting  upon  the  floor,  convulsed 
with  paroxisms  of  laughter,  while  the  naughty  but  hilarious 
Sanford  read  aloud  to  them  the  adventures  of  'Bimleck,"  from 
the  pages  of  Neighbor  Jackwood.  The  book  was  mildly  but 
firmly  taken  from  his  unwilling  hands;  and  the  mother,  we 


Mrs.  Sarah  Lord  Baker 


I 


i 


Baker 


159 


know,  had  a  bit  of  a  heartache  as  she  departed  with  the  alluring 
story. 

But  notwithstanding  her  devotion  to  her  family  and  the 
careful  and  judicious  training  which  she  gave  her  children,  Mrs. 
Baker  was  not  a  woman  who  lived  within  the  four  square  walls 
of  her  own  home.  Her  horizon  was  not  limited,  but  had  a 
broad  outlook  on  the  world  at  large.  She  took  an  active  part 
in  all  the  educational,  patriotic,  and  philanthropic  movements 
in  Hallowell.  She  was,  for  many  years,  the  efficient  president 
of  the  time-honored  Benevolent  Society,  and  was  also  an  able 
and  judicious  worker  in  the  temperance  cause.  She  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Old  South  Church,  and  gave  her 
gracious  and  faithful  services  to  the  younger  children  of  the 
Sunday  school  for  many  years.  By  her  strong  personality,  her 
brilliant  mental  gifts,  her  heartsome  hospitality,  her  generous 
charity,  and  her  devoted  religious  life,  Mrs.  Baker  has  left  an 
impress  upon  our  community  not  soon  to  be  effaced. 

The  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Baker  family,  true  to  their 
natural  inheritance,  were  all  gifted  with  rare  intellectual 
endowments.  One  daughter,  Mrs.  Martha  Baker  Dunn,  is 
the  author  of  three  delightful  novels.  The  Sleeping  Beauty, 
Memory  Street,  and  ' Lias  s  Wife,  of  a  volume  of  essays,  entitled 
Cicero  In  Maine,  and  of  many  poems  marked  by  beauty  of 
thought  and  expression.  Mrs.  Dunn  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  R. 
Wesley  Dunn  and  resides  in  Waterville,  Maine.  In  recognition 
of  her  literary  work,  she  has  been  honored  by  Colby  College 
with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Letters.  Frances  Weston  Baker 
married  Hon.  Albert  Rice  of  Rockland.  Ellen  B.  Baker 
married  Colonel  Alfred  E.  Buck,  member  of  Congress  from 
Georgia,  and  United  States  Minister  to  Japan.  Annie  S. 
Baker  married  Frank  A.  Ham  of  Russell,  Kansas.  Harriet 
Dennis  Baker  married  Mr.  Edwin  C.  Dudley  of  Augusta. 
Sanford  A.  Baker  married  Miss  Lulu  Tayior  and  resides  in 
Chicago.  Judge  Baker  died  in  Hallowell,  June  28,  1902,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-six.    Mrs.  Sarah  Lord  Baker  died  April  21,  1898. 


XI 


LATER  REPRESENTATIVE  FAMILIES 

"There  prevailed  in  those  days  a  high-minded  interest  in  every- 
thing that  lifted  men  up." — Rev.  Henry  V.  Bmmons. 

SN  tracing  the  records  of  the  old  famiUes  of  Hallowell, 
we  have  gradually  passed  from  the  first  to  the  second 
quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century.  During  this  period 
many  of  the  honored  founders  of  the  town  had  passed 
away,  and  new  families  had  arrived  that  worthily  maintained 
the  traditions  of  their  predecessors.  A  record  of  all  of  these 
interesting  families,  even  in  the  briefest  form,  would  require 
a  lengthy  volume,  and  afford  material  for  the  most  insatiable 
genealogist;  but  the  scope  and  aim  of  this  story,  of  Old 
Hallowell  permit  the  mention  of  only  a  few  of  these  later 
representative  families. 

A  notable  and  worthy  connecting  link  between  the  earlier 
and  the  later  generation  is  furnished  in  the  life  of  the  Honorable 
Samuel  K.  Oilman.  A  representative  man  of  both  periods, 
Judge  Oilman  went  in  and  out  among  the  people  for  sixty-seven 
years,  living  an  open,  unblemished,  and  useful  life.  His  kindly 
nature,  his  genial  conversation,  his  sincerity  of  heart,  his 
integrity  of  character,  and  his  devoted  service  to  his  church, 
his  town,  and  his  state,  appealed  to  his  fellow  citizens  in  an 
unusual  manner. 

Judge  Oilman  was  born  in  Exeter,  New  Hampshire,  May  2, 
1796.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Martha  Kinsman  Oilman, 
and  a  descendant  of  Edward  Oilm.an  who  came  to  Boston  in 
the  Diligent  in  1638.  Through  one  branch  of  their  family, 
the  Oilmans  are  descended  from  Oovernor  Simon  Bradstreet 
and  his  wife  Anne  Dudley,  daughter  of  Oovernor  Thomas 
Dudley,  whose  record  has  been  traced  back  through  a  long 
line  of  illustrious  ancestors  to  Robert  Earl  of  Leicester,  Lord 


Gilman 


i6i 


Justice  of  England,  and,  still  farther,  to  Hugh  the  Great,  son 
of  Henry  I.  of  France. 

Entirely  unconscious  of  this  formidable  pedigree,  the 
youthful  Samuel  grew  up  in  the  old  town  of  Exeter.  As  a 
boy,  he  was  studious  and  fond  of  books,  and  absorbed  all  that 
could  be  obtained  from  the  curriculum  of  the  common  schools 
of  his  day.  He  supplemented  his  education  by  an  apprentice- 
ship in  a  printing  office,  the  advantages  of  which  were  apparent 
in  his  subsequent  career.  In  the  War  of  1812,  he  served  in  a 
military  company  from  Exeter.  In  181 5,  he  came  to  Hallowell, 
where  he  began  life  as  a  printer,  and  soon  rose  to  the  position 
of  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  famous  old  Hallowell  paper 
called  the  American  Advocate. 

The  Advocate  was,  at  this  time,  the  only  Republican 
paper  east  of  Portland.  In  its  columns,  its  editor  ably  main- 
tained the  strict  principles  of  his  party  in  opposition  to  the 
Federalists,  and  successfully  supported  the  movement  for  the 
separation  of  Maine  from  Massachusetts. 

In  1829,  Mr.  Gilman  commenced  the  study  of  law  with' 
Hon.  Peleg  Sprague,  and,  in  1832,  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
He  represented  Hallowell  for  four  years  in  the  Maine  legis- 
lature; and  during  his  term  of  office,  he  served  as  chairman  of 
the  finance  committee  with  such  zeal  and  care  for  the  expendi- 
ture of  money  that  he  won  for  himself  the  title  of  "watch-dog 
of  the  treasury."  Subsequently,  from  1852  to  1872,  he  held 
the  office  of  judge  of  the  municipal  court  in  Hallowell,  and 
merited  the  reputation  which  he  bore  of  being  **a  just  judge 
whose  sentences  were  tempered  with  mercy."  Judge  Gilman 
was  also  at  one  time,  captain  of  the  famous  Hallowell  Artillery, 
and  afterwards  major  of  his  regiment.  His  tall,  imposing 
figure  and  military  bearing  always  commanded  attention  upon 
the  field. 

When  the  Kennebec  railroad  was  projected,  Judge  Gilman 
was  chosen  as  the  legal  representative  of  the  railroad  company 
to  purchase  land  and  settle  claims  for  damages  in  the  town  of 
Hallowell.  He  was  afterwards  appointed  station  agent,  an 
office  which  he  retained  until  his  death,  1882. 

Judge  Gilman's  service  to  the  church,  in  which  he  offici- 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


ated  as  deacon  for  forty  years,  was  characterized  by  the  most 
constant  devotion  to  the  cause  of  rehgion  and  to  the  spiritual 
well-being  of  the  community.  It  has  been  well  said  of  him 
that  "his  honesty  of  purpose  and  geniality  of  companionship 
won  for  him  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact 
in  social,  professional,  or  religious  life." 

Judge  Samuel  K.  Oilman  married,  April  25,  1821,  Lucy 
Gorham  Dummer.  Their  children  were:  Gorham  Dummer, 
b.  May  29,  1822,  m.  October  5,  1864,  Lizzie  A.  Field;  Sarah 
Maria,  b.  1826,  d.  September  24,  1827;  Lucy  Dummer,  b. 
August  2,  1828,  d.  July  10,  1838;  Ellen  Louisa  Dummer,  b. 
May  21,  1831,  m.  November  2,  1854,  Austin  Abbott  of  New 
York;  Sarah  Frances,  b.  January  15,  1835,  d.  November  26, 
1878;  John  Abbott,  b.  June  24,  1837,  m.  October  22,  1861, 
Louisa  Sprague;  Sophia  Bond,  b.  July  8,  1840;  Samuel 
Kinsman,  b.  August  8,  1842,  m.  September  5,  1865,  Belle  J. 
Wright,  d.  December  24,  1879.  Judge  Samuel  K.  Oilman  died 
December  26,  1882.  Mrs.  Lucy  Dummer  Oilman  died  August 
14,  1875. 

Mrs.  Lucy  Dummer  Oilman,  the  wife  of  Hon.  Samuel  K. 
Oilman,  was  born  at  Hallowell,  August  20,  1802.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Gorham  and  Sarah  Abbott  Dummer,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Nathaniel  and  Mary  Kilton  Dummer.  Mrs. 
Oilman  was  a  woman  of  rare  character,  whose  influence  was  felt 
not  only  in  the  home  where  she  was  enshrined  as  wife  and 
mother,  but  throughout  the  whole  community  in  which  she 
dwelt.  It  was  Lucy  Dummer,  who,  in  her  childhood,  first  led 
by  the  hand  to  school  the  little  cousin  destined  to  become 
known  to  fame  as  Jacob  Abbott.  Years  afterwards,  when 
Jacob  became  a  celebrated  story-writer,  he  named  his  famous 
"Lucy  Books"  in  honor  of  Lucy  Dummer,  who  was  just  such 
a  sweet,  lovable  little  girl  as  the  charming  heroine  of  the 
"Lucy  Books."  It  was  but  natural  that  this  charming  and 
lovable  little  girl  should  grow  into  "a  lady  of  many  beautiful 
graces  of  character,"  and  be  "honored  and  beloved  to  a  degree 
above  the  common  lot."  Although  an  invalid  for  many  years, 
Mrs.  Oilman  was  the  inspiring  center  of  a  beautiful  and 
delightful  home  life.    She  lived  for  her  husband,  her  children, 


Dole 


163 


and  her  friends;  and  the  Christian  graces,  the  neighborly  kind- 
Hness,  and  lovable  personality  of  Mrs.  Gilman  will  long  be 
remembered  in  Hallowell. 

Judge  and  Mrs.  Gilman  lived  to  commemorate  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  their  marriage.  Their  golden  wedding"  was 
celebrated,  April  24,  1871,  in  the  old  Dummer-Gilman  house 
hallowed  by  many  family  associations.  This  house  was  built 
by  Judge  Nathaniel  Dummer  for  his  son  Gorham  Dummer. 
Here  Mrs.  Mary  Kilton  Dummer,  the  widow  of  Judge  Dummer, 
lived  in  the  family  of  her  son.  Here  Lucy  Dummer  was  born 
and  married  to  Samuel  K.  Gilman.  Here  she  spent  her  life; 
and  here  her  sons  and  daughters  passed  their  youthful  years. 
Four  generations  of  the  family  have  thus  lived  under  the  roof 
of  this  ancestral  dwelling. 

Mr.  Gorham  D.  Gilman,  the  oldest  son  of  Judge  Gilman, 
was  for  twenty  years  a  resident  of  Honolulu  and  was  also 
Consul  General  for  Hawaii  in  the  United  States.  On  his 
return  to  his  own  country,  he,  in  company  with  his  brother 
John  A.  Gilman,  established  the  house  of  Gilman  Brothers,' 
which  has  since  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  wholesale 
drug  trade  of  Boston. 

Samuel  Kinsman  Gilman,  a  young  man  of  unusual  promise, 
also  entered  the  drug  business,  and  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Gilman  Brothers.  His  death,  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-seven,  was  deeply  lamented.  A  Boston  paper,  in  an 
obituary  notice,  dwells  upon  his  "fine  business  capacities,  his 
high  sense  of  mercantile  honor,  his  rare  personal  traits,"  and 
his  "helpful  sympathy  and  unstinted  generosity"  in  the 
religious  interests  and  philanthropic  work  of  Boston. 

Miss  Sophia  Bond  Gilman  is  the  only  representative  of 
this  family  now  residing  in  Hallowell.  In  her,  the  virtues, 
gifts,  and  graces  of  a  long  and  honorable  ancestry  have  found 
their  full  fruition.  / 


No  resident  of  old  Hallowell  will  be  longer  and  more 
distinctly  remembered  for  his  genial  qualities,  his  philanthropic 
spirit,  and  his  marked  individuality  than  Deacon  Ebenezer 


164  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Dole.  A  godly  man,  with  "a  passion  for  giving,"  and  a  heart 
that  never  failed  to  respond  to  the  call  of  the  poor  and 
oppressed.  Deacon  Dole  was  foremost  in  all  the  reforms  of  the 
day,  and  especially  in  the  antislavery  movement.  With  this 
cause  the  name  of  Deacon  Dole  will  always  be  identified.  The 
first  antislavery  society  in  Maine  was  organized  at  his  house, 
November  18,  1833.  Its  officers  were  Ebenezer  Dole,  pres- 
ident; Paul  Stickney,  vice-president;  R.  Gardiner,  treasurer; 
George  Shepard,  corresponding  secretary;  Richard  D.  Rice, 
recording  secretary.  These  were  the  men  who  first  flung  the 
unpopular  and  oft-maligned  banner  of  antislavery  to  the  breeze. 
They  boldly  asserted  *'the  rights  of  man,  the  atrocious  wick- 
edness of  slavery,  and  the  duty  to  obey  God  and  let  the 
oppressed  go  free."  They  unhesitatingly  received  into  their 
homes  the  young  English  emancipationist,  George  Thompson, 
when  he  visited  Maine  in  1834.  On  the  fifteenth  of  October, 
Mr.  Thompson  spoke  in  Augusta.  His  meetings  ''were 
crowded  with  listeners  who  were  delighted  and  inspired;"  but 
he  was  denounced  by  the  press  as  "a  mischief-maker  coming 
from  England  to  teach  Americans  their  politics."  Mr. 
Thompson  was  threatened  with  personal  violence,  and  was 
taken  by  his  friends  from  a  back  window  in  Parson  Tappan's 
house,  and  secretly  conveyed  to  Hallowell.  He  was  followed 
by  the  mob;  and  the  church  in  which  he  spoke  was  attacked 
by  the  rioters  in  the  evening.  Quiet,  however,  was  speedily 
enforced  by  the  prompt  and  efficient  action  of  the  Hallowell 
police;  and  before  an  enthusiastic  audience,  Mr.  Thompson 
completed  his  address. 

Deacon  Dole  bravely  consecrated  himself,  his  talents,  and 
his  money,  to  the  antislavery  cause.  He  met  with  much 
opposition,  even  in  his  own  church;  and  not  infrequently,  when 
he  lifted  his  voice  in  prayer  for  those  in  bondage,  would  some 
other  good  brother  arise  and  leave  the  vestry. 

Ebenezer  Dole  was  born  in  Newbury,  March  12,  1776. 
He  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  John  and  Eunice  Balch,  in 
1 814.  Their  children  were:  Ebenezer,  born  181 5;  Hannah, 
born  1 81 7;  Nathaniel,  born  1819;  Anna,  born  1822;  Mary,  born 
1824.    Mrs.  Dole  was  an  estimable  and  charming  woman  and 


Deacon  Ebknezer  Doi,e 


Dole 


contributed  largely  to  the  religious  and  social  life  of  the  circle 
in  which  she  moved.  Her  three  daughters  were  bright,  merry 
girls,  endowed  with  rare  musical  gifts  and  unusual  personal 
charms.  The  old  residents  of  Hallowell  still  speak  with 
unabated  enthusiasm  of  the  beauty  and  brilliancy  of  the 
daughters  of  Deacon  Dole. 

The  second  of  these  daughters,  Mrs.  De  La  Croix,  is  still 
living  in  Oxford,  North  Carolina.  In  one  of  her  recent  letters 
to  her  Hallowell  friends,  Mrs.  De  La  Croix  gives  this  brief  but 
suggestive  glimpse  of  the  early  home  life  of  the  Dole  family : 
"On  Friday  night,  meetings  were  often  held  in  our  parlor  that 
sixty  yards  of  carpeting  covered.  Often  on  zero  nights — no 
heat  in  the  halls — we  children  brought  from  the  chambers 
every  chair  in  the  house  and  took  them  back  again  afterwards. 
It  never  entered  our  heads  to  object,  but  the  last  trip  was 
jubilant." 

Mrs.  De  La  Croix  then  speaks  of  the  social  life  of  the 
young  people,  and  adds:  "As  we  were  the  deacon's  daughters, 
we  were  not  allowed  to  go  to  the  Hallowell  House  dances,  but 
sometimes  we  got  off  to  Augusta."  On  one  of  the  latter 
occasions  Aunt  Harriet  Page,  who  lived  "over  the  way," 
remarked,  with  some  asperity,  to  one  of  the  neighbors:  "What 
do  you  suppose  Mrs.  Dole  thinks  when  she  sees  those  muslin 
dresses  hanging  on  the  clothes-horse  in  the  winter.?" 

Notwithstanding  her  advanced  age,  the  writer  of  this  letter 
evidently  retains  much  of  her  youthful  spirit,  for  an  Oxford 
paper  states  that  "the  most  interesting  old  person  in  the 
county  is  Madame  De  La  Croix,  mother  of  Mr.  Louis  De  La 
Croix;"  and  describes  this  aged  daughter  of  Deacon  Dole  as 
"a  woman  of  unusual  mental  force  and  vigor,  an  interesting 
and  instructive  talker,  and  altogether  a  most  charming  person- 
ality."  ^ 

Deacon  Ebenezer  Dole  died  June  14/  1847.  After  his 
death,  his  family  removed  to  Newburyport. 

Daniel  N.  Dole,  brother  of  Deacon  Ebenezer  Dole,  married 
Nancy  Gove  of  Edgecomb.  He  was  a  goldsmith,  and  manu- 
factured gold  beads  and  silver  spoons  in  his  quaint  little  shop 
in  Hallowell.     He  was  very  exact  in  his  movements,  and 


1 66  Old  Hallow  ell  on  the  Kennebec 

punctual  in  his  hours  of  business ;  and  people  were  accustomed 
to  set  their  clocks  and  watches  by  the  time  at  which  he  passed 
certain  points  upon  the  street.  He  was  succeeded  in  his  busi- 
ness by  his  son  Eben  G.  Dole,  who  became  the  well-known 
jeweler  in  Hallo  well. 

The  children  of  Eben  G.  Dole  and  his  wife  Margaret  were: 
Mary  C.,  Ellen  B.,  Annie  D.,  Daniel  L.,  Samuel  M.,  and 
Henry  L.  Dole.  Mrs.  Miranda  Dole,  the  second  wife  of  Eben 
G.  Dole,  and  Miss  Mary  C.  Dole  were  women  of  sincere  piety, 
practical  benevolence,  and  life-long  devotion  to  the  work  of 
the  church,  and  the  patriotic  and  charitable  associations  of  the 
town.  The  only  member  of  this  family  now  living  is  Mr. 
Henry  L.  Dole  of  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  who  retains  the 
Dole  residence  for  a  summer  home  in  Hallowell. 

Among  the  residents  of  Hallowell  who  were  co-laborers  in 
the  antislavery,  temperance,  and  other  philanthropic  causes, 
were  Rev.  Daniel  Dole,  Rev.  Elias  Bond,  Rev.  George  Shepard, 
pastor  of  the  Old  South  Church,  Richard  D.  Rice,  Samuel  K. 
Gilman,  Simon  Page,  James  Gow,  Rodney  G.  Lincoln,  William 
Stickney,  Ephraim  Mayo,  Samuel  W.  Huntington,  Joseph 
Nason,  Joseph  Lovejoy,  John  Yeaton,  Benjamin  Wales, 
Charles  Dummer,  Dr.  Nourse,  Dr.  Richardson,  and  many  others 
whose  names  are  well  remembered. 

The  Rev.  Daniel  Dole  was  well  known  as  an  early 
missionary  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  as  the  father  of 
Sanford  B.  Dole,  president  of  Hawaii.  Another  noble  son 
of  Hallowell  who  devoted  his  long  life  to  the  work  of  evangel- 
izing and  civilizing  the  natives  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands  was  the 
Rev.  Elias  Bond.  In  1840,  Dr.  Bond  left  Hallowell  and,  with 
his  gifted  and  devoted  wife,  went  to  Kohala,  where  they  both 
spent  their  lives  in  toil  and  self-sacrifice.  Religion  and  educa- 
tion were  the  watchwords  of  "Father  Bond,^'  and  his  aspirations 
were  grandly  realized  in  the  field  to  which  he  devoted  his 
labors. 

James  Gow  was  a  Scotch  tailor  who  came  to  Hallowell 
in  1793.  He  married,  August  23,  1793,  Lucy,  daughter  of 
Eliphalet  Gilman,  and  built  for  his  family  residence,  the  house 


Gow 


afterwards  occupied  by  his  son-in-law,  Rodney  G.  Lincoln,  and 
later  by  Orlando  Currier.  Throughout  his  life,  he  was  a 
worthy  and  pious  deacon  in  the  Old  South  Church,  where  his 
place  often  seems  to  have  been  second  only  to  that  of  the 
minister.  He  has  been  described  as  "a  Scotch  gentleman, 
with  a  heart  overflowing  with  loving  kindness."  Every  one 
loved  him.  It  was  often  said  that  *'he  was  too  good  to  die; 
that  he  would  be  translated."  Deacon  Gow  was  a  devoted 
adherent  to  the  antislavery  cause,  and  his  house  was  always 
open  to  the  colored  man.  It  is  said  that  the  first  fugitive 
slave  that  passed  through  Hallowell  was  cared  for  by  Deacon 
Gow,  and  that  the  Rev.  H.  H.  Garnet,  the  colored  preacher 
of  Troy,  New  York,  was  cordially  entertained  by  Deacon  and 
Mrs.  Gow,  much  to  the  disapproval  of  their  friends. 

Closely  allied  with  the  leading  men  of  Hallowell  in  all 
philanthropic  movements  were  the  two  brothers,  Paul  and 
William  Stickney,  sons  of  Thomas  Stickney  of  Rowley,  Massa- 
chusetts. William  Stickney,  born  April  17,  1799,  married 
Judith,  daughter  of  Nathan  Moody.  Their  children  were: 
William,  David,  Joseph,  and  Caroline  Elizabeth,  who  married, 
January  14,  1869,  Mr.  George  H.  Hoyt  of  Bradford,  Massa- 
chusetts. Of  William  Stickney  it  has  been  said  that  **he  was 
far-sighted,  enterprising,  industrious  in  business;  yet  his  char- 
acter as  a  business  man  seemed  to  be  swallowed  up  in  that  of 
the  practical  Christian.  All  things  were  to  him  secondary  to 
the  cause  of  true  piety,  which  he  sought  to  advance  no  more 
by  precept  than  by  example  and  charity.  He  seemed  to  dignify 
human  nature  by  his  beautiful  life,  the  end  of  which  is  — 
peace." 

Captain  Ephraim  Mayo  was  born  at  Harwich,  Massachu- 
setts, October  27,  1789.  He  was  the  son  of  Ebenezer  Mayo 
ship-builder,  who  settled  in  Hallowell  in  1 793,  and  a  lineal 
descendant  of  the  Rev.  John  Mayo,  first  'pastor  of  the  old 
North  Church  in  Boston.  The  Mayos  had  also  in  their  veins 
a  liberal  strain  of  Mayflower  blood;  and  through  their  maternal 
lines  they  traced  descent  from  Governor  Thomas  Prence,  Elder 
William  Brewster,  and  other  worthies  of  the  Plymouth  Colony. 
Ebenezer  Mayo  and  his  father,  Thomas,  served  in  the  war  of 


i68 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  Revolution,  and  were  prisoners  on  the  infamous  ship  Jersey 
in  New  York  harbor.  Captain  Ephraim  Mayo  was  a  man  of 
the  strict  puritanic  type.  Rigid  in  his  principles,  inflexible  in 
methods,  conscientious  to  the  extreme,  he  was  nevertheless, 
kindly,  generous,  and  just  to  all  men,  and  possessed  in  his 
heart  a  great  tenderness  for  little  children.  He  was  a  member 
of  no  sect  because  he  could  subscribe  to  no  creed ;  yet  he  was 
a  constant  attendant  and  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  services  of 
the  church.  As  early  as  1814,  his  name  is  found  among  the 
incorporators  of  the  Union  Religious  Society  of  Hallowell. 
He  was  a  staunch  abolitionist  in  the  days  when  the  leaders 
of  the  antislavery  party  were  branded  with  opprobrium  and 
threatened  with  social  ostracism.  He  did  not  hesitate  to 
receive  the  fugitive  slave  into  his  own  house;  and  I  well 
remember  the  thrilling  story  of  the  *'big  black  man"  who  was 
once  hidden  all  night  in  the  attic  while  the  family  shook  in 
terror  lest  the  officers  of  the  law  should  appear  and  wreak 
vengeance  on  their  heads.  But  the  "chattel"  was  passed 
safely  on  to  the  next  underground  station,  and  at  last  in  safety 
reached  the  desired  haven. 

In  the  war  of  1812,  Ephraim  Mayo  served  as  corporal  in 
the  Hallowell  Light  Infantry  Company,  which  was  organized 
under  Captain  Benjamin  Dearborn,  November  20,  181 1.  A 
few  years  afterwards,  Ephraim  Mayo  was  appointed  captain  of 
this  company,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  local  custom,  retained 
his  title  through  life.  On  February  19,  181 5,  Captain  Ephraim 
Mayo  married  Sally  Laughton,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Molly 
Adams  Laughton  who  settled  in  Hallowell  in  1804.  Ephraim 
Mayo  died  September  24,  1857.  Mrs.  Sally  Laughton  Mayo 
lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-six.  She  possessed  rare  charms  of 
mind  and  character,  and  also  the  beautiful  brown  eyes,  which 
she  inherited,  according  to  family  tradition,  from  the  Lynn 
Laugh  tons  of  England,  and  bequeathed  to  her  own  daughters. 

Samuel  W.  Huntington  came  to  Hallowell  about  1840. 
In  that  year  five  votes  were  cast  in  Hallowell  for  James  Birney, 
the  abolitionist  candidate  for  the  presidency  of  the  United 
States.  It  is  recorded  that  the  five  gentlemen  who  voted  this 
ticket  were  Samuel  W.  Huntington,  Ebenezer  Dole,  Joseph  C. 


H 
W 

w 

O 
0 


Huntington 


Lovejoy,  Stevens  Smith,  and  Eli  Thurston.  Samuel  W. 
Huntington  was  at  that  time  a  comparatively  new  resident  in 
Hallowell,  but  he  soon  identified  himself  with  the  political  and 
commercial  interests  of  the  town,  and  was  recognized  as  an 
able  business  man,  and  a  large-hearted,  generous,  public-spirited 
citizen.  For  more  than  twenty-five  years,  he  was  one  of  the 
prominent  merchants  and  manufacturers  of  Hallowell,  and  an 
active  supporter  of  all  local  reforms. 

In  the  early  sixties,  Mr.  Huntington  removed  his  business 
to  Augusta,  but  retained  his  residence  in  Hallowell.  In  1874, 
he  built  the  house  on  Central  Street  which  he  occupied  until 
his  death;  but  the  early  home  of  the  Huntington  family  was 
in  the  quaint  old  house  that  still  stands  on  Middle  Street.  It 
was,  in  those  days,  a  long,  low-roofed  cottage  with  odd-shaped 
rooms,  and  five  queer  stairways  leading,  in  unexpected  places, 
to  its  dormer-windowed  chambers  and  the  dark,  mysterious 
store-rooms  where,  on  semi-annual  occasions,  the  old-fashioned 
gowns,  the  pink-satin-lined  bonnets,  the  gorgeous  cashmere 
shawls,  the  silk-embroidered  slippers,  and  the  curious  little  fan- 
parasols  were  brought  forth  for  an  airing,  to  the  great  delight 
of  the  daughters  of  the  household.  The  long  piazza,  where  the 
children  played  "Old  Mother  Tipsey-toes,"  and  danced  "up 
and  down  the  center,"  still  remains;  but  the  old  fruit  gardens, 
the  long  walk  bordered  with  the  dear  old-fashioned  flowers,  the 
trellised  grape  arbor,  and  the  summer-house  where  they  might 
sit  and  read  their  story-books  on  Sunday,  if  they  would  be 
"very  still,  indeed,"  have  entirely  disappeared. 

Samuel  W.  Huntington  belonged  to  a  family  that  has 
borne  an  honorable  name  in  the  annals  of  the  country  and  that 
has  not  been  without  distinguished  representatives  both  in  the 
church  and  state.  He  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Maine,  May 
17,  1 816,  the  son  of  William  and  Mary  Huntington,  and  a 
descendant  of  Simon  and  Margaret  Barer  Huntington  who 
emigrated  to  this  country  in  1633.  He  married,  November  9, 
1842,  Sally,  daughter  of  Captain  Ephraim  Mayo.  Their  chil- 
dren were  Samuel  Lancaster  and  Emma  Caroline.  Samuel 
Lancaster  Huntington  married,  November  7,  1877,  Nelhe  A. 
Yeaton,  daughter  of  John  Yeaton,  of  Chelsea,  Maine.  They 


170 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


have  one  daughter,  Mary  Wentworth  Huntington.  Emma 
Carohne  Huntington  married  May  23,  1870,  Charles  H.  Nason 
of  Augusta.  Mrs.  Sally  Mayo  Huntington  died  October  3, 
1849.  On  June  30,  1850,  Samuel  W.  Huntington  married 
Caroline  Mayo,  daughter  of  Captain  Ephraim  Mayo.  Their 
children  were  Julius  Francis,  Alice  Mayo,  and  Charles  Franklin. 
Julius  Francis  Huntington  married,  May  20,  1885,  Helen  F. 
Thomas,  a  woman  of  rarely  beautiful  character,  who  died,  Feb- 
ruary 19,  1907,  leaving  one  son,  Richard  Thomas  Huntington. 

The  Nason  families  of  Hallowell  were  descended  from 
Richard  Nason,  who,  in  1639,  had  a  grant  of  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  on  the  Newichawannock  river  in  that  part  of  old 
Kittery  which  is  now  South  Berwick.  According  to  family 
tradition,  Richard  Nason  came  from  Stratford-on-Avon,  where 
the  name  of  Nason  is  found  on  the  parish  records  as  early  as 
1577.  Joseph  Frost  Nason,  born  in  Sanford,  Maine,  June  29, 
1 81 3,  came  to  Hallowell  about  1840.  He  was  sixth  in  descent 
from  Richard  Nason  of  Kittery,  and  counted  among  his  ances- 
tors. Frosts,  Emerys,  Sewalls,  Dummers,  and  leading  families 
of  the  Plymouth  colony.  He  married,  first,  July  23,  1843, 
Mary  Thompson  Welch,  who  died  August  3,  1852;  and,  second, 
Mrs.  Susan  B.  Sherman  of  Nantucket.  The  children  of 
Joseph  Frost  and  Mary  Welch  Nason  were:  Charles  H.,  who 
became  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Augusta;  Edwin 
Francis,  a  graduate  of  Bates  College,  and,  in  his  early  years, 
a  successful  teacher  and  literary  critic;  and  Aroline  who  died 
in  infancy.  Charles  H.  Nason  married.  May  23,  1870,  Emma 
Caroline  Huntington.  They  have  one  son,  Arthur  Huntington 
Nason,  instructor  in  English  in  New  Y ork  University. 

Joseph  Frost  Nason  was  engaged  for  many  years  in  the 
boot  and  shoe  business  in  Hallowell.  He  was  a  gentleman  of 
the  old  school  type,  of  cultivated  mind,  of  courteous  bearing, 
and  of  integrity  of  character.  He  was  a  zealous  advocate  of 
the  abolition  of  slavery  and  of  the  temperance  reform,  and  a 
man  whose  strong  religious  principles  were  exemplified  by  most 
liberal  charities  and  consistent  Christian  living.  He  died 
October  27,  1877. 

Bartholomew  Nason,  also  a  descendant  of  Richard  Nason 


Miss  Mary  Thompson  Wei.ch 
(Mrs.  Joseph  F.  Nason) 


Temperance  Movement 


171 


of  Kittery,  removed  from  Augusta  to  Hallowell  in  1837,  where 
he  became  one  of  the  leading  merchants.  He  was  the  father 
of  Deacon  Edward  Nason,  whose  daughter,  Miss  Margaret 
Nason,  now  resides  in  Augusta;  of  Wilham  Nason,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  A.  Wingate;  and  of  Frederick  B.  Nason,  who  married 
Annie  Dwight;  and  the  grandfather  of  Deha  E.  Collins,  who 
married  Louis  Ruttkay,  nephew  of  Kossuth. 

While  the  cause  of  antislavery  was  thus  exciting  great 
interest  in  Hallowell,  another  philanthropic  reform  was  inaugu- 
rated which  appealed  very  closely  to  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
This  was  the  temperance  movement.  Ever  since  the  founda- 
tion of  the  town,  West  India  rum  had  been  classed  with 
groceries  and  provisions,  and  had  been  as  freely  sold  by  the 
most  respectable  merchants.  The  time  came,  however,  when 
the  people  were  aroused  to  a  realization  of  the  terrible  effects 
of  intemperance;  and  leading  citizens  made  strenuous  efforts 
to  bring  about  a  reform.  They  held  mass  meetings;  they 
preached  sermons;  they  gave  lectures;  they  formed  societies. 
Perpetual  and  total  abstinence  was  the  watchword;  and  the 
method,  moral  suasion.  One  of  the  most  famous  leaders  in 
this  remarkable  movement  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Lovejoy, 
the  agent  of  the  Maine  Temperance  Union.  Under  his 
direction  immense  mass  meetings  were  held,  at  which  speeches 
were  made  by  Rev.  John  A.  Vaughan,  Rev.  Mr.  Miles,  Rev. 
Thomas  Adams,  Dr.  Amos  Nourse,  S.  W.  Robinson,  Charles 
Dummer,  Esq.,  and  Judge  Peleg  Sprague.  Great  interest  was 
aroused;  the  churches  united  and  formed  a  society;  and  the 
people  of  Hallowell  entered  resolutely  upon  the  work.  Mr. 
Lovejoy  spoke  to  a  crowded  audience,  in  the  town  hall,  with 
great  power,  eloquence,  and  pathos ;  and  his  /appeal  resulted  in 
the  accession  of  a  large  number  of  members  to  the  society. 
Mr.  Lovejoy  also  organized  a  boy's  society  which  adopted  a 
pledge  of  total  abstinence. 

The  immediate  and  practical  results  of  all  these  efforts 
may  be  best  understood  from  a  few  typical  instances.  The 
first  occurs — where  we  should  least  expect  to  find  it — in  the 


172  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

orders  of  one  of  the  military  companies.  It  had  always  been 
the  custom  for  the  captain  of  the  company,  at  the  close  of  the 
drill,  to  march  the  men  to  his  own  door  and  offer  them  a 
parting  glass.  I  remember  the  tall  decanters  and  long  rows 
of  wine  glasses  that,  in  the  days  of  my  childhood,  were  always 
kept  on  the  upper  shelves  of  my  grandmother's  china  closets, 
and  of  hearing  how  my  grandfather  used  always  to  treat  the 
men"  when  he  was  captain  of  the  Light  Infantry.  In  after 
days  he  became  the  most  rigid  of  total  abstainers.  But  it  was 
another  captain  of  the  same  company  who  was  the  moral  hero 
of  whom  I  write.  This  was  Captain  S.  A.  Kingsbury  who, 
during  temperance  agitation,  in  1834,  addressed  his  company 
saying  that  the  common  practice  of  serving  wines  and  other 
liquors  at  company  drills  was  repugnant  to  his  views  and 
feelings,  and  expressing  his  wish  that  the  company  would 
agree  to  have  the  custom  discontinued.  A  motion  was  made 
that  thereafter  "refreshments"  be  dispensed  with,  and  it  was 
unanimously  carried. 

Another  indirect  but  very  forcible  expression  of  the  state 
of  public  sentiment  may  be  found  in  the  announcement,  in 
1 841,  of  the  famous  old  steamboat,  the  J.  W.  Richmond.  '*The 
hands  of  the  Richmond^''  says  this  advertisement,  "drink  no 
strong  drinks;"  and  adds,  "It  would  be  well  if  the  passengers 
followed  their  example." 

On  June  5,  1841,  the  Hallowell  Weekly  Gazette  announces: 
"We  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  our  readers  that  the 
Hallowell  House  is  now  a  temperance  house;  and  bespeak  a 
liberal  share  of  the  patronage  of  the  public  for  its  gentlemanly 
landlord,  Mr.  Hodges." 

It  was  on  the  following  Fourth  of  July  that  Hallowell  had 
its  memorable  temperance  celebration  with  a  dinner  at  Mr. 
Hodges'  famous  hostelry.  This  notable  day  was  ushered  in 
with  the  usual  noisy  demonstrations  of  joy.  At  ten  o'clock  the 
Washington  Temperance  Society  met  at  the  Town  Hall,  and 
formed  in  procession  with  other  societies,  the  soldiers  of  the 
Revolution,  the  clergy,  and  distinguished  guests,  and  then 
marched  to  the  Old  South  Church  escorted  by  Captain  A. 
Lord's  corps  of  Volunteers,  and  the  Hallowell  Independent 


Lovejoy 


173 


Lancers.  The  latter  were  a  company  of  young  lads  in  brilliant 
uniforms,  who  attracted  much  attention  by  fine  appearance, 
good  order,  and  exact  marching.  The  band  followed;  and  the 
whole  procession  was  under  the  direction  of  Major  Haines. 

The  services  at  the  church  consisted  of  prayer  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Cole,  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  by 
Colonel  D.  P.  Livermore,  address  by  Dr.  Nourse,  and  an  ode, 
"I've  thrown  the  bowl  aside,"  sung  by  Mr.  E.  Rowell.  Mr. 
Joseph  C.  Lovejoy  was  then  called  upon  to  make  '^remarks," 
and  gave  one  of  the  most  eloquent  addresses  ever  heard  from 
his  gifted  lips. 

At  the  close  of  these  exercises  the  procession  marched  to 
the  Hallowell  House,  where  one  hundred  and  thirty  guests  sat 
down  to  one  of  Landlord  Hodges'  best  dinners.  Toasts  were 
then  drank,  cold  water  being  the  only  beverage,  and  it  was 
agreed  that  ''never  was  a  Fourth  of  July  passed  in  Hallowell  in 
better  spirits  and  good  feeling." 

Among  those  who  responded  to  toasts  were:  J.  Burnham, 
Henry  Reed,  E.  Rowell,  T.  W.  Newman,  Leonard  Whittier, 
Alonzo  Palmer,  H.  K.  Baker,  Colonel  Livermore,  Colonel 
Masters,  Rev.  J.  Cole,  R.  G.  Lincoln,  Justin  E.  Smith,  and 
Rev.  J.  C.  Lovejoy.  The  Independent  Lancers  had  their 
share  of  the  honors.  They  were  apostrophized  as  "Invincible," 
with  the  added  sentiment :  "May  their  first  battle  be  pitched 
upon  King  Alcohol,  the  common  enemy." 

These  illustrations  show  very  plainly  the  trend  of  public 
sentiment  and  the  advance  made  by  the  temperance  cause. 
The  Washington  Temperance  Society  continued  its  labors 
with  great  success,  not  only  in  Hallowell  but  throughout  the 
state ;  and  the  movement  resulted  in  the  prohibition  law  passed 
by  the  Maine  Legislature,  in  1852. 

In  1829,  Mr.  Lovejoy  was  preceptor  ^of  the  Hallowell 
Academy.  He  afterwards  entered  the  ministry  and  became 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Cambridgeport.  He 
was  an  earnest  supporter  of  the  temperance  cause  and,  like  his 
famous  brothers  Elijah  and  Owen  Lovejoy,  he  was  very  active 
and  zealous  in  the  antislavery  movement 

A  very  interesting  family  tradition,  describing  an  incident 


174 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


which  is  said  to  have  taken  place  during  the  pastorate  of  Mr. 
Lovejoy  at  Cambridgeport,  is  worthy  of  record  as  characteristic 
of  the  temper  of  the  times.  In  Mr.  Lovejoy's  church  there  was 
a  colored  man  of  fine  appearance  who  was  said  to  have  had  a 
white  mother  and  who  showed  but  slight  traces  of  his  colored 
parentage.  He  was  a  large,  dignified  man  and  a  celebrated 
caterer.  The  wife  of  this  colored  man  was  a  white  woman ;  and 
as  it  was  the  rule  in  Mr.  Lovejoy's  church  that  the  colored 
members  should  sit  by  themselves  in  the  gallery,  Mr.  Lovejoy 
made  an  exception  in  this  case  and  permitted  the  husband  to 
sit  with  the  white  people,  saying  that  no  husband  and  wife 
should  be  separated  in  his  church. 

This  decision  caused  great  excitement  and  intense  opposi- 
tion in  the  church  and  town;  the  people  were  beside  themselves 
with  rage;  and  the  affair  resulted  in  the  resignation  of  Mr. 
Lovejoy  and  his  leaving  the  ministry.  Subsequently  Mr.  Love- 
joy was  engaged  in  lecturing  and  as  foreign  correspondent  in 
the  Patent  Office  at  Washington.  By  his  association  with  men 
in  sympathy  with  slavery,  Mr.  Lovejoy's  views  were  greatly 
modified,  and  he  withdrew  from  the  antislavery  movement, 
much  to  the  sorrow  of  his  brother  Owen  and  of  his  northern 
friends. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Lovejoy  was  the  son  of  David 
Lovejoy, and  a  descendant  of  John  Lovejoy,  one  of  the  founders 
of  Andover.  He  was  born  July  26,  1805,  married  October  6, 
1830,  Sarah  Moody,  only  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  Moody 
of  Hallowell.  They  had  eight  children,  the  youngest  of  whom, 
Anna  Louise  Lovejoy,  married,  April  6,  1868,  William  Henry 
Raymond  of  Boston.  The  children  of  this  marriage  are: 
Marion  Louise,  who  married  Joseph  Warren  Merrill  of  Brook- 
line;  Robert  Lovejoy  Raymond,  who  married  Mary  Minturn 
Higbee  of  New  Rochelle,  New  York;  William  Lee  Raymond, 
who  married  Phoebe  Teresa  Candage  of  Brookline;  and  Edith, 
who  married  Percy  Vickery  Hill  of  Augusta,  Maine. 

Stevens  Smith  whose  name  appears  conspicuously  in  con- 
nection with  the  emancipationists  of  the  period,  came  to 
Hallowell  1803.  He  was  the  son  of  Nathaniel  Smith  of 
Epping,  New  Hampshire.     He  married  Nancy,  daughter  of 


Lincoln 


175 


George  and  Zipperah  Robinson  of  Attleboro.  One  of  his 
daughters,  Nancy  Robinson,  married  Richard  D.  Rice,  editor 
of  the  Liberty  Staftdard,  and  afterwards  removed  to  Augusta. 
The  Standard  was  subsequently  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Austin 
Willey,  the  famous  antislavery  leader,  who  resided  for  some 
years  in  Hallowell,  and  while  there  gave  a  great  impetus  to 
the  cause. 

Franklin  A.  Day  came  to  Hallowell  about  1831,  and 
engaged  in  business  with  Laban  Lincoln.  Mr.  Day  became 
a  successful  merchant  and  lumber  dealer,  and  also  officiated 
as  town  treasurer  and  collector.  He  was  a  fine  singer,  and 
is  remembered  as  the  leader  of  the  Universalist  choir,  which 
was  noted  for  its  excellent  music.  He  married  Hannah  Squire 
and  had  four  children:  Frank,  Joe,  Preston,  and  Lizzie.  Mr. 
Joe  B.  O.  Day  is  now  living  in  Castana,  Iowa.  His  letters  to 
his  Hallowell  friends  are  filled  with  interesting  reminiscences 
of  his  native  town. 

Laban  Lincoln  was  eminently  worthy  of  the  name  of  a 
''good  citizen."  He  gave  his  name  to  that  part  of  Hallowell 
known  as  Lincolnville  where  he  erected  quite  a  large  number 
of  houses.  Like  his  business  partner,  Mr.  Day,  he  gloried  in 
being  ''a  despised  abolitionist"  and  was  once  mobbed  on  the 
street  for  his  antislavery  utterances.  It  has  been  truly  said 
of  him  that  ''he  was  the  friend  of  every  one,  and  fully  exem- 
plified his  belief  in  the  brotherhood  of  man."  Rodney  G. 
Lincoln,  the  son  of  Laban  Lincoln,  married  Lucy,  daughter 
of  Deacon  Gow.  Mr.  Lincoln's  name  appears  prominently  in 
connection  with  all  movements  for  the  public  weal,  until  the 
time  of  his  removal  from  Hallowell  to  Minnesota.  His  oldest 
daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  Pollock,  has  written  some  interesting 
sketches  of  her  native  town  under  the  pen-name  of  Clara 
Graham.  A  younger  daughter.  Miss  Anna  TJiurston  Lincoln, 
has  been,  during  the  last  thirty  years,  the  presiding  genius  of 
the  women's  hall  at  Carlton  College,  Minnesota,  and  a  frequent 
and  ever  welcome  guest  at  Hallowell. 

The  name  of  Page  has  frequent  and  always  honorable 
mention  in  the  annals  of  Hallowell.  David  Page,  born  August 
12,  1782,  was  the  son  of  Aaron,  and  grandson  of  John  Page, 


176 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


and  belonged  to  one  of  the  noteworthy  old  families  of  Kensing- 
ton, New  Hampshire.  He  married,  October  i6,  1814,  Mary, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  a^d  Zilpha  Guild,  of  Hallowell.  Their 
children  were:  Mary,  Benjamin  Guild,  Horatio,  Caroline  A., 
Edward,  Sarah  Elizabeth,  David,  Franklin,  and  Augustus. 
The  sons  are  no  longer  living.  Mary  married  John  Matthews 
and  died  in  1903.  She  was  a  woman  much  beloved  by  many 
friends.  She  possessed  a  remarkable  memory,  and,  having 
spent  her  whole  life  in  her  native  town,  her  mind  was  stored 
with  interesting  and  valuable  reminiscences  of  the  old  people 
and  the  olden  times  in  Hallowell.  Caroline  A.  Page  married 
John  Freeman.  She  is  now  a  delightfully  young  old  lady  of 
eighty-five,  who  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Amos  Smith 
of  Chicago,  but  who  still  frequently  visits  her  sister.  Miss 
Sarah  Elizabeth  Page,  at  the  family  homestead  in  Hallowell. 

The  founders  of  the  Freeman  families  of  Hallowell  were 
Edward,  Samuel,  and  Ebenezer,  descendants  of  Edmund  Free- 
man of  Sandwich,  Massachusetts.  They  settled  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river  and  gave  their  name  to  Freeman's  hill.  Prom- 
inent among  their  neighbors  were  the  Davis  brothers, 
Benjamin,  Nathan,  and  Daniel,  from  the  vicinity  of  Exeter, 
New  Hampshire,  and  Seth  Littlefield,  a  descendant  of  Edmund 
Littlefield  of  Wells,  Maine.  The  Littlefields,  like  the  members 
of  the  Davis  family,  were  farmers  and  sea-faring  men  of 
honorable  repute.  Jeremiah  Littlefield,  son  of  Seth,  left  four 
children.  One  daughter,  Aureha,  married  John  L.  French  of 
Hallowell.  The  French  family  is  now  represented  by  Mr. 
Charles  French  of  Monterey,  California,  Mrs.  Julia  Francis  of 
Washington,  Mrs.  Susan  F.  Wallace  of  Nashua,  and  by  Miss 
Emma  O.  French  and  Mr.  Stephen  H.  French,  of  Hallowell, 
who  reside  upon  the  estate  formerly  owned  by  Charles 
Vaughan,  Esq.  Phineas  Yeaton,  with  his  wife,  Phebe  Went- 
worth,  and  two  children,  Dorcas  and  John,  came  from  Berwick 
in  1798  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river.  These  families  were  all  of  good  New  England  stock 
and  left  descendants  worthy  of  their  names. 

Barnstable  County,  Massachusetts,  sent  not  a  few  of 
its  staunch  sons  to  Hallowell.      Among  them  was  Elisha 


White 


177 


Nye,  son  of  Stephen  Nye,  both  of  whom  served  in  the 
Continental  army  and  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  Elisha 
Nye  was  the  father  of  the  well-remembered  Kennebec  sea- 
captain,  Ansel  Nye.  William  Nye,  son  of  Ansel,  married 
Susan  L.  Siders  of  Boston.  Their  children  were  Mary,  William, 
George  Albert,  Charles  E.,  J.  Edwin,  Emma  L.,  and  Ellen  M. 
Three  of  these  sons,  William,  George  Albert,  and  J.  Edwin, 
were  officers  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  Ellen  M.  married 
F.  Herbert  Parlin  and  now  resides  in  Hallowell.  General 
George  Nye  of  Natick,  also  a  descendant  of  Elisha  Nye, 
served  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  and  had  a  most  honorable 
record. 

Prominent  among  the  men  of  this  period  were  Ambrose 
Merrill  and  James  Atkins,  wealthy  merchants  and  ship-build- 
ers. Ellen  Merrill,  the  daughter  of  Ambrose  Merrill,  married 
James  Atkins  and  resided  in  the  Bond-Glazier  mansion  which  is 
now  occupied  by  her  daughter,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Johnson.  Brooks 
and  Hathaway  were  hardware  merchants  and  their  families 
took  an  important  part  in  the  literary  and  social  life  of  the 
town.  Calvin  Spaulding,  the  veteran  bookseller,  had  a  long 
and  honorable  business  career  in  Hallowell.  The  Spaulding 
book  store,  founded  in  1820,  is  still  one  of  the  characteristic 
landmarks  of  the  town.  Jesse  Aiken,  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  successful  merchants  of  Hallowell  married  Mary  A.  Fuller, 
and  resided  in  the  old  Squire  Perley  house.  His  oldest 
daughter,  Eliza  J.  Aiken  Masters,  died  in  Syracuse  in  1889; 
Edward  Fuller  Aiken  was  one  of  the  "forty-niners,"  and  died 
in  California;  the  youngest  daughter,  Augusta,  married  William 
J.  Kilburn  and  now  resides  in  New  Bedford.  She  still  retains 
a  warm  affection  for  her  native  town  and  for  the  old  Hallowell 
Academy  in  which  she  was  educated. 

Another  family,  closely  associated  with  this  Second  Street 
neighborhood,  was  that  of  General  Greenlief '  White,  a  promi- 
nent business  man  of  Hallowell  and  afterwards  of  Augusta. 
General  White  married  Julia  Cascolene  Martin,  daughter  of 
Alfred  and  Lydia  Martin,  and  granddaughter  of  Isaac  Clark. 

Mrs.  White  was  a  woman  of  remarkable  character  who 
retained  her  keenness  of  intellect,  unimpaired  memory,  and 


178 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


great  charm  of  manner  until  her  last  days.  She  long  outlived 
her  husband  and  spent  her  last  days  in  Hallowell  where  she 
died  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years.  Of  the  five 
children  of  this  marriage,  two  died  in  childhood;  the  oldest 
son,  Greenlief  White,  born  July  23,  1832,  was  drowned  in  the 
Kennebec.  The  oldest  daughter,  Julia  M.  White,  born  Sep- 
tember 21,  1828,  is  said  to  have  been  **a  reigning  belle  and 
beauty"  in  her  girlhood;  and  although  an  invalid  during  her 
later  years,  she  never  lost  the  fascinating  charm  of  her  youthful 
days.  Annie  L.  White,  the  second  daughter  of  General  and 
Mrs.  White,  was  born  May  8,  1834,  and  married,  in  1854,  Mr. 
Joseph  Berry  of  Bath.  Her  home  was  for  many  years  in 
Hallowell  where  she  became  endeared  to  a  large  circle  of 
friends  through  her  lovable  character,  her  irresistible  charm 
of  manner,  her  intellectual  gifts,  rare  conversational  powers, 
her  unselfish  life,  and  her  loyalty  to  her  friends.  The  two 
children  of  Joseph  and  Annie  L.  Berry  were  Cascolene 
Hortense,  who  married  Mr.  Edward  A.  Thomas  of  Hallowell, 
and  Edward  Williams  Berry,  who  married  Katharine  Maud 
Beeman  of  Hallowell.  The  last  years  of  the  life  of  Mrs.  Annie 
Berry  were  spent  with  her  son  and  daughter  in  Spokane, 
Washington.  She  died  November  i,  1908,  greatly  beloved  and 
lamented. 

Artemas  Leonard  was  a  merchant  and  bank  president.  In 
his  day  the  practice  of  banking  was  less  formal  and  complicated 
than  at  the  present  time;  and  an  interesting  story  of  Mr. 
Leonard's  methods  is  told  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Page,  an  old 
resident  of  Hallowell.  "Before  the  Kennebec  and  Portland 
Railroad  was  built,"  writes  Mr.  Page,  "transportation  to  Boston 
was,  in  summer,  by  vessels  and  later  by  steamers;  in  winter  by 
stage  which  required  three  days  for  the  journey.  On  this 
particular  trip,  I  stood  one  afternoon  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the 
stage  from  Augusta.  It  was  an  event — it  came.  A  bank  was 
located  near  by,  and  just  as  the  stage  was  leaving,  Mr.  Artemas 
Leonard,  its  president,  came  briskly  out,  lifted  the  blanket 
side,  which  was  hiding  from  view  all  the  passengers,  and 
said, — *  Anyone  here  going  to  Boston?'  Someone  must  have 
said,  *yes, '  possibly  someone  he  knew  from  Augusta,  for  he 


Joy 


179 


continued,  *I  have  a  package  here  of  ten  thousand  dollars, 
I  would  like  to  have  taken  to  the  Suffolk  Bank.'  It  was  taken 
on  and  the  stage  departed." 

Artemas  Leonard  became  a  man  of  wealth  and  his  resi- 
dence, a  large  brick  house  on  Middle  Street,  was  one  of  the 
most  attractive  in  the  town.  It  is  remembered  by  a  younger 
generation  as  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Caroline  Hill. 
An  old  bowling  alley  which  stood  on  the  Leonard  grounds  had 
a  great  fascination  for  the  boys  and  girls  who  were  often 
permitted  to  play  there  by  the  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Hill. 

Nathaniel  Brown  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  enter- 
prising of  the  earlier  business  men.  He  has  the  distinction,  in 
an  old  record,  of  being  **the  baker  who  makes  good  bread."  He 
married  Mary  L.  Parsons  of  Ipswich.  Their  daughter,  Lucia 
Parsons  Brown,  is  remembered  as  a  teacher  of  water-color 
painting.  She  lived  to  a  good  old  age  in  Hallowell,  where  she 
was  highly  esteemed  for  her  womanly  virtues.  Nathaniel 
Brown  built  the  interesting  old  house  on  Winthrop  Street 
afterwards  owned  by  Hiram  Fuller.  This  house  has  a  charm- 
ing stairway  turning  to  right  and  left  from  the  landing  near  the 
top;  and  in  the  window  of  the  upper  hall  is  a  pane  of  glass  with 
this  quaint  inscription: 

Hear  I  stand  boath  day  and  night  to  keep 
out  could  and  let  in  light. 
Glazed  by  Richard  Calvert. 
Dec.  5,  1812. 

Hiram  Fuller  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Simeon  C. 
Whittier.  They  had  four  children,  Martha,  George,  Charles, 
and  Brenda,  now  Mrs.  Freese  of  Hallowell.  Mrs.  Fuller  was  a 
bright,  cheery,  hospitable  woman  who  always  made  the  young 
people  especially  welcome  in  her  home.  She  retained  her 
youthful  feelings,  her  interest  in  current  events,  and  her  devo- 
tion to  the  service  of  the  Episcopal  church  until  her  last  day. 
She  died  January  i,  1893. 

Hiram  Joy  was  in  the  leather  and  harness  business.  He 
married  Caroline  Hayden  and  lived  in  the  Nye  house  on 
Second  Street.    Here  their  daughter  Caroline  was  born  in 


i8o  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

1833.  About  1835,  Mr.  Joy  removed  to  Detroit.  He  after- 
wards visited  Hallowell  bringing  with  him  his  beautiful  young 
daughter  who  was  warmly  welcomed  in  the  place  of  her  birth. 
Caroline  Joy  married  J.  Stirling  Morton,  at  one  time  Secretary 
and  Acting-Governor  of  Nebraska.  She  was  a  woman  of 
remarkable  qualities  of  mind  and  character^;  one  who  took  in 
abundantly  of  the  many  good  gifts  of  earth  and  heaven,  and 
gave  out  a  hundred  fold.  She  is  proudly  claimed  by  the 
mother  town  as  one  her  most  lovable  and  accomplished 
daughters.  Mrs.  Morton  died  June  29,  1881.  Four  sons, 
Joy,  Paul,  Mark,  and  Charles,  live  to  honor  their  mother's 
memory. 

Moses  and  Daniel  Lakeman  were  the  sons  of  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  Lord  Lakeman,  and  were  among  the  most  highly 
respected  citizens  of  the  town.  Moses  Lakeman  was  a  man  of 
prominence,  and  one  of  the  early  mayors  of  Hallowell.  During 
the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  the  army  and  was  Colonel  of  the 
famous  Third  Maine  regiment.  On  his  return  to  Hallowell  he 
was  presented,  by  the  town  with  a  pair  of  silver  spurs  in 
recognition  of  his  services  to  his  country.  Daniel  Lakeman, 
who  might  have  contested,  with  Deacon  Gow,  the  palm  for 
genuine  and  unaffected  goodness,  lived  a  long  and  useful 
life  in  Hallowell.  He  married,  first,  Eliza  Shepherd.  One 
daughter  of  this  marriage  was  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Clark.  The  third 
wife  of  Daniel  Lakeman  was  Mary  Blood  of  Pepperell.  The 
children  of  this  marriage  were  Martha  A.,  now  Mrs.  Reuben 
Brooks,  of  Gloucester,  and  Annie  M.,  who  died  January  16, 
1908.  Miss  Annie  M.  Lakeman  began  her  successful  career 
as  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Hallowell.  She  was 
afterward,  for  nineteen  years,  the  principal  of  the  Lane  School, 
at  Gloucester,  Mass.  She  was  an  ideal  teacher  with  the  power 
of  inspiring  her  pupils  with  her  own  mental  and  moral  aspira- 
tions. She  did  a  great  work,  with  immeasurable  benefit  to  the 
school,  the  home,  and  the  general  public. 

Thomas  and  James  Leigh  were  sons  of  Joseph  Leigh  who 
came  from  England  to  Hallowell  about  1800.  They  both  had 
long  and  honorable  careers  as  merchants.  Mr.  James  Leigh 
married  Martha  Athern,  of  Bath,  and   had  two  daughters, 


Yeaton 


i8i 


Grace  Athern,  and  Alice  Eliza  who  married  Mr.  Charles  E. 
Dinsmore.  The  children  of  Thomas  Leigh  were  Thomas 
Leigh,  Jr.,  of  Augusta;  Helen  Paine,  who  married  H.  Nelson 
Webber;  and  Annie  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Ben  Tenney  of  Hal- 
lowell. 

Samuel  Tenney  was  by  trade  a  shoemaker.  He  occupied 
a  shop,  at  the  "Sign  of  the  Boot,"  on  the  corner  of  Winthrop 
and  Water  Streets.  But  Mr.  Tenney  was  also  an  apothecary, 
and  spent  all  his  leisure  time  in  the  study  of  the  science  of 
chemistry.  He  became  so  thoroughly  and  practically  versed  in 
this  subject  that  he  manufactured  his  own  chemical  apparatus, 
and  gave  illustrated  lectures  which  proved  most  acceptable  and 
interesting  to  the  public.  His  lecture  room  was  on  the  upper 
floor  of  the  Old  South  School  House;  and  here,  in  1817,  he  ex- 
hibited an  electric  light  on  the  same  principle  as  the  electric 
light  of  the  present  day.  Mr.  Tenney  was  also  a  noted  singer 
and  teacher  of  music  in  Hallowell  and  was  chorister  of  the  Old 
South  Church  for  many  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs,  Tenney  had  two  children,  Alonzo  and  Abby. 
Captain  Alonzo  Tenney  married  Sadie  White.  Their  sons, 
Ben,  Fred,  and  George,  now  reside  in  Hallowell.  The 
following  interesting  story  is  told  of  Alonzo  Tenney  who 
seems  to  have  inherited  his  father's  practical  and  scientific 
abihty :  "Alonzo  when  a  young  man  went  to  sea  for  his  health 
and  was  master  of  the  vessel  Nile  which  was  shipwrecked  in  a 
violent  gale  on  a  voyage  to  Pensacola.  For  twelve  days  the 
captain  and  his  crew  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind  and  wave 
and  were  kept  alive  only  by  the  ingenuity  of  Captain  Tenney. 
By  the  aid  of  a  lens  he  procured  fire;  and  by  his  knowledge 
of  chemistry,  with  simply  a  barrel,  a  tea-kettle,  and  gun-barrel 
he  made  a  rude  distillery  changing  the  salt  water  to  fresh.  He 
also  rigged  a  mast  so  that  the  vessel  was  paking  some  time 
when  finally  picked  up.  Capt9.in  Tenney  received  high  com- 
mendation for  his  courage  and  prudence  from  the  owners  of  the 
vessel." 

John  Yeaton,  the  son  of  Phineas  Yeaton,  married  Abigail 
Rollins,  and  resided  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  He  was  a 
man  marked  for  his  uprightness  and  force  of  character,  and 


1 82  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

was  active  in  the  antislavery  movements  and  other  moral  re- 
forms of  his  time.  He  died  at  an  honored  old  age,  leaving  one 
son,  who  worthily  bore  his  father's  name,  and  three  daughters, 
Mrs.  Alden  Flye  of  Damariscotta,  Mrs.  George  W.  Simonds  of 
Boston,  and  Mrs.  Samuel  L.  Huntington  of  Augusta. 

Other  familiar  names  appear  in  the  lists  of  the  business 
men  of  this  period.  There  was  Benjamin  Davenport,  the 
hatter;  Ichabod  Nutter  who  advertised  "black,  white,  and 
green  French  crepe,  ostrich  feathers  and  rich  thread  laces;" 
Jonas  Child,  A.  Lord,  and  John  Clark,  tailors;  Jerome  Day, 
H.  Tobey,  John  Lowell,  B.  F.  Warner,  merchants;  James  Sher- 
burne, the  blind  storekeeper;  Elbridge  Rollins,  whose  stand 
was  the  headquarters  of  the  democratic  party-leaders  during 
the  exciting  political  campaigns;  and  Mark  Means,  the  pros- 
perous baker,  who  built  a  fine  brick  house  on  Chestnut  Street, 
now  the  residence  of  Miss  Annie  S.  Banks.  Mr.  George 
Fuller  established  an  iron  foundry  and  machine  shops  in  which 
his  sons  have  carried  on  an  extensive  business,  Isaiah 
McClinch  also  built  an  iron  foundry,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  George  B.  McClinch.  D.  L.  Gardiner  was  a  dealer  in 
men's  furnishing  goods.  His  sons,  George,  Charles,  Harry, 
Frederic,  and  one  daughter,  Inez,  were  students  at  the  Hal- 
lowell Academy,  and  always  retained  their  loyalty  for  their 
native  town.  The  old  Gardiner-Marston  house,  at  the  head 
of  Union  Street,  has  a  chamber  called  the  "Tom  Reed  room," 
so  named  because  it  was  frequently  occupied  by  Charles 
Gardiner's  college  friend  who  afterwards  became  the  famous 
Speaker  of  the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Mark 
Johnson,  dealer  in  groceries  and  provisions,  occupied  the 
corner  store  in  the  brick  block  erected  by  Squire  Perley.  He 
married  Sarah  Simmons,  daughter  of  Captain  Daniel  Sim- 
mons, and  granddaughter  of  Ebenezer  Mayo.  They  had  three 
sons,  Llewellyn,  Gorham,  and  Hannibal ;  and  three  daughters, 
Clara,  Florence,  and  Fanny.  Lieutenant  Hannibal  A.  Johnson 
was  an  officer  of  the  famous  Third  Maine  RegimiCnt  during  the 
Civil  War,  and  the  author  of  an  interesting  and  valuable 
volume  of  personal  reminiscences,  entitled  The  Sword  Of 
Honor.     Clara  married  Captain  Holman  Anderson;  Florence 


Beeman 


183 


married  Mr.  Jewell  of  Hallowell;  Fanny  married  Alexander 
Doyle,  the  well-known  sculptor  of  New  York. 

Major  William  S.  Haines  was  cabinet  maker  and  under- 
taker. His  father,  Jonathan  Haines,  was  the  owner  of  the 
granite  quarry  afterwards  developed  and  made  famous  by  the 
proprietors  of  the  Hallowell  Granite  Works.  Major  Haines 
was,  for  twenty-five  years,  the  superintendent  of  burials  in 
Hallowell  and  came  into  close  and  sympathetic  touch  with  the 
people.  He  kept  a  record  of  all  the  deaths  that  occurred  dur- 
ing this  period;  and  his  mind  was  a  depository  of  local  history 
and  family  genealogies.  A.  B.  and  P.  Morton  are  also  well 
remembered  among  the  business  men  of  Hallowell  in  1840. 
They  afterwards  removed  to  Baltimore  where  they  became 
wealthy  merchants.  Mr.  Franklin  J.  Morton,  Mrs.  H.  P. 
Dyer,  and  Miss  Priscilla  B.  Morton,  the  son  and  daughters  of 
Mr.  A.  B.  Morton,  have  been  frequent  guests  in  Hallowell,  and 
liberal  donors  to  the  Old  South  Church. 

Not  least  among  all  these  was  John  Beeman  who  kept  the 
corner  store,  at  the  **Sign  of  the  Indian.*'  It  is  not  quite 
clear  to  my  mind,  at  the  present  time,  just  what  kind  of  a  stock 
of  goods  John  Beeman  had  for  sale.  I  remember  it  as  a  sort  of 
phantasmagoria  of  dolls,  rocking-horses,  peppermint  candy, 
fireworks,  jews  harps,  hoops  and  hoop-sticks,  coral  necklaces, 
and  carnelian  rings — magnificent  beyond  compare!  And  yet 
there  must  have  been  other  staple  articles  of  merchandise 
purchased  by  the  older  patrons  of  the  store,  who  apparently 
did  not  always  pay  their  bills  as  promptly  as  did  the  children, 
for,  in  the  columns  of  the  local  paper,  appears  this  notice : 

"All  persons  having  demands  against  the  subscriber  will  please  call 
and  get  their  money.  Those  indebted  to  the  subscriber  are  requested 
to  call  and  settle,  or  they  will  find  the  'items'  in  the  hands  of  Wm.  B. 
Glazier,  Esq.,  who  has  no  bowels  of  compassion."  , 

John  Beeman,  born  January  24,  1810,  was  the  son  of  John 
Beeman  of  Hallowell  and  grandson  of  John  Beeman  of  Hart- 
ford, Connecticut.  He  married  Sarah  Carr,  daughter  of 
George  Carr.  Their  daughters,  Mrs.  Katharine  Berry,  and 
Miss  Edith  Beeman,  now  reside  in  the  ancestral  Carr  house  on 


184  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Ke7inebec 

Second  Street.  John  Beeman,  senior,  came  to  Hallowell  in 
1 78 1.  He  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  on  Water  and  Central 
Streets — where  he  cultivated  an  extensive  garden  famed  for  its 
fruits  and  vegetables.  Mr.  Beeman,  it  is  said,  was  "a  great 
reader;"  and  on  winter  evenings,  he  was  always  found  on  his 
long  settle,  by  the  fireplace,  poring  by  candlelight,  over  some 
book  on  science  or  ancient  history. 

Another  well-remembered  business  man  was  Benjamin 
Wales,  who,  for  many  years,  was  the  leading  druggist  on  the 
Kennebec.  Mr.  Wales  was  born  at  Braintree  in  1782,  and 
came  to  Hallowell  when  good  druggists  were  rare.  He  soon 
built  up  an  extensive  and  profitable  business,  and  taught  the 
secrets  of  his  trade  to  Mr.  Simon  Page  of  Hallowell,  Mr.  Eben 
Fuller  of  Augusta,  and  other  young  men  who  afterwards 
established  themselves  successfully  in  the  same  business.  Mr. 
Wales  married  Sally  Carr,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Carr,  who  became 
the  second  wife  of  Mr.  William  Morse.  Mr.  Wales  built,  in 
1820,  the  spacious  and  elegant  mansion,  on  the  corner  of 
Middle  and  Chestnut  streets.  This  house  was  subsequently 
occupied  by  Henry  W.  Paine,  Thomas  Andrews,  A.  S. 
Washburn,  and  Captain  Charles  H.  Wells.  Mr.  Wales  was  a 
member  of  the  Old  South  Church,  and  a  stanch  democrat.  He 
was  also  evidently  a  consistent  supporter  of  the  temperance 
movement,  for  when  he  pledged  himself  to  this  cause  he 
emptied  his  bottles  of  cherry  brandy  out  of  doors,  while  the 
children  gazed  with  awe  upon  the  little  blood-red  streams  that 
trickled  down  his  garden  paths.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wales  had  one 
son  who  died  in  early  manhood,  and  two  daughters.  Miss 
Sarah  Wales,  long  remembered  as  a  teacher  in  the  Hallowell 
Academy,  and  Charlotte,  who  married  Dr.  Frederick  Allen  of 
Hallowell. 

Dr.  Frederick  Allen  was  born  in  Chilmark,  Martha's 
Vineyard,  and  educated  at  Amherst  College  and  the  Harvard 
Medical  School.  After  a  year's  experience  in  hospital  practice, 
he  came  to  Hallowell  where  he  had  a  long  and  successful 
professional  career,  terminated  by  his  sudden  death  in  1858. 
Mrs.  Charlotte  Wales  Allen  outlived  her  husband  for  forty 
years.    She  was  a  most  interesting  and  lovable  woman  and  a 


Smith 


185 


devoted  and  life-long  member  of  St.  Matthew's  Parish  in  Hal- 
lowell. 

The  names  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  suggest  those  of  other 
interesting  families  who  lived  at  the  south  end  of  Second 
Street — the  Andrews,  the  De  Wolfe  Smiths,  the  Hathaways, 
the  Flaggs,  the  Dummers,  and  other  cultured  and  interesting 
people.  These  families,  together  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Richard- 
son, organized  and  maintained  a  literary  club,  at  which  original 
essays  and  the  books  of  the  day  were  read  and  discussed.  The 
men  were  all  interesting  talkers  and  keenly  alive  to  the  ques- 
tions of  the  time  and  the  women  were  no  less  able  to  contri- 
bute to  the  ''feast  of  reason  and  the  flow  of  soul."  This 
old-time  reading  club  held  frequent  meetings,  and  proved  a 
very  enjoyable  feature  of  neighborhood  intercourse. 

The  Andrews  family  lived  in  a  picturesque  cottage  with  a 
long  piazza  shaded  by  clematis  vines.  The  house  was  sur- 
rounded by  pleasant  gardens  in  which  all  the  old-fashioned 
fruits  and  flowers  grew;  and  this  home  was  one  of  the  most 
charming  and  hospitable  in  the  town.  Major  Thomas  M. 
Andrews  was  a  genial  friend  and  neighbor,  and  Mrs.  Andrews, 
who  was  Miss  Martha  Augusta  Curtis,  daughter  of  Charles 
Curtis  of  Boston,  was  greatly  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her. 
They  had  one  son,  William  Henry,  and  four  daughters:  Eliz- 
abeth, who  married  Captain  Llewellyn  Cooper;  Georgiana, 
who  died  in  girlhood  greatly  beloved  and  lamented;  Martha, 
who  married  Mr.  Frank  E.  MuUiken,  and  who,  with  the  young- 
est sister,  Miss  Julia  M.  Andrews,  now  resides  in  Augusta. 
Mrs.  Martha  Curtis  Andrews  died  October  24,  1857.  Major 
Andrews  married  for  his  second  wife,  Louise,  daughter  of 
Gideon  Farrell,  Esq. 

Dr.  De  Wolfe  Smith,  a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  culture, 
married  Judith  Smith,  daughter  of  Mr.  Joseph  Smith  of 
Hallowell.  Mrs.  Smith  was  a  very  hand/some  and  brilliant 
woman  who  took  a  prominent  and  efficient  part  in  all  the  social, 
literary,  and  philanthropic  movements  of  the  day.  Their  only 
daughter,  Florence,  is  now  Mrs.  Pope  Sampson  of  New  York. 
Their  son,  Robert,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  a  brilliant  scholar, 
and  a  lawyer  of  unusual  talent,  died  in  early  manhood. 


1 86  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Franklin  Hathaway  married  Caroline  Gardiner  and  resided 
in  the  octagon  house  which  was  familiarly  known  as  the  "Bird- 
Cage."  This  unique  and  attractive  cottage  was  built  by 
Captain  Thwing,  and  first  occupied  by  the  family  of  Joseph 
Barrett.  The  home  of  the  Flaggs  was  just  opposite  the 
Emmons  house.  Mr.  John  P.  Flagg  married  Mary,  daughter 
of  John  Merrick,  Esq.  Mrs.  Flagg  was  a  woman  of  most  esti- 
mable character  and  distinguished  for  her  private  and  public 
benevolences.  She  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Girls'  Indus- 
trial School,  and  a  liberal  endower  of  the  Flagg-Dummer  Hall. 

Mr.  Charles  Dummer  was  a  descendant  of  Jeremiah 
Dummer  who  came  to  Hallowell  with  the  early  settlers. 
Charles  Dummer  married,  first.  Miss  Cobb  of  Portland,  and, 
second,  Miss  Almira  Cleaves  of  Saco.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dummer 
were  both  interested  in  all  that  pertained  to  the  welfare  of 
Hallowell,  and  especially  in  its  educational  institutions.  Mrs. 
Dummer  was,  for  many  years,  an  invalid,  but  never  lost  her 
interest  in  the  vital  affairs  of  life.  She  was  the  moving  spirit 
in  her  own  home;  and  neither  sickness  nor  pain  prevented  her 
from  joining  the  household  in  the  pleasant  social  intercourse 
which  she  constantly  maintained.  Her  private  and  public 
charities  were  numerous;  and  her  gift  of  the  Dummer  estate, 
on  Winthrop  Street,  to  the  Girls'  Industrial  School  remains  a 
permanent  benefaction.  The  residence  of  the  Dummers  was  the 
handsome  house  built  for  the  first  Mrs.  Dummer  by  her  father. 
Its  location  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  town;  and  its  style  of 
architecture  is  suggestive  of  the  elegance  and  repose  of 
Colonial  life.  This  house  is  now  the  property  of  the  artist, 
Mr.  Alger  V.  Currier. 

An  interesting  story  of  Mrs.  Dummer's  girlhood  is  related 
by  Josiah  Quincy  in  his  Figures  of  the  Past.  The  author 
describes  a  journey  which  he  made  with  Judge  Story  and 
several  other  interesting  passengers,  in  an  old-fashioned  stage 
coach,  in  1826.  Among  these  passengers  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McCobb,  from  Maine  who  were  escorting  to  Washington  the 
Misses  Cleaves,  two  young  ladies  about  to  make  their  debut  in 
Washington.  The  journey  from  Boston  to  New  York  occu- 
pied four  days;  and  the  passengers  congratulated  themselves 


Mann 


187 


upon  living  in  an  age  of  rapid  communication.  They  looked 
upon  their  journey  as  a  pleasure  trip  and  each  one  contributed 
of  his  best  to  the  entertainment  of  his  fellow-passengers. 
"People  who  never  talked  anywhere  else, "  writes  Quincy, 
*'were  driven  to  talk  in  those  old  stage  coaches."  .... 
**Judge  Story  was  one  of  the  great  talkers  at  a  period  when 
conversation  was  considered  a  sort  of  second  profession;"  and 
before  the  close  of  the  first  day's  journey  he  was  favoring  his 
fellow-travelers  with  brilliant  stories,  selections  of  poetry,  a  dis- 
cussion of  Scott's  novels,  of  Miss  Burney's  Evelina,  and  of  the 
"conversations  of  Maria  Edgeworth."  We  can  therefore 
imagine  the  keen  delight  with  which  the  two  young  heiresses 
from  Maine  listened  to  the  conversation  of  this  famous  talker 
with  his  fellow-passengers. 

"The  early  hours  of  Sunday,"  continues  Mr.  Quincy,  "I 
spent  in  visiting  the  churches  in  attendance  upon  the  Misses 
Cleaves,  who,  being  fresh  from  boarding-school  were  somewhat 
romantic.  May  it  chance  that  either  of  these  fair,  young  crea- 
tures are  yet  living.?  May  it  happen  that  either  of  them 
survives  to  read  this  narrative  of  our  journey  with  the  great 
Judge.!*  Were  they  also  keeping  journals.?  It  is  just  possible 
that  the  publication  of  this  paper  may  bring  me  some  news  of 
their  lives  during  the  fifty-four  years  since  we  parted 
company." 

The  publication  of  the  above  sketch  resulted  in  a  corre- 
spondence between  the  author  and  Mrs.  Almira  Dummer. 
"Little  did  I  think,"  wrote  this  lady,  "that,  when  taking  the 
journey  alluded  to,  which  was  the  first  great  event  of  my  life, 
*  being  fresh  from  boarding-school,  and  somewhat  romantic,'  I 
should  be  reminded  of  it,  after  a  period  of  fifty  years,  by  one  of 
the  party  who  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  the  friendly  intercourse, 
the  pleasure,  and  instruction  derived  from  the  unlimited  fund 
of  conversation  and  knowledge  possessed^  by  Judge  Story. 
During  the  long  course  of  yeats  since  that  time  each  member 
of  that  stage-coach  party  has  been  held  in  pleasant  remem- 
brance." 

Among  the  well-remembered  physicians  of  Hallowell  were 
Dr.  Ariel  Mann,  Dr.  Amos  Nourse,  and  Dr.  M.  C.  Richardson. 


1 88  Old  Hallowell  o?i  the  Kennebec 

Dr.  Ariel  Mann,  was  born  in  Wrentham,  May  14,  1777, 
came  to  Hallowell  in  1802,  and  married  September  3,  1810, 
Phebe,  daughter  of  William  Morse.  He  was  especially  skilled 
as  a  surgeon  and  stood  at  the  head  of  his  profession  in  this  part 
of  the  country.  He  entered  into  partnership  with  Dr.  Amos 
Nourse  and  maintained  a  successful  practice  for  a  number  of 
years.  On  being  appointed  Judge  of  Probate  for  Kennebec 
County,  he  gave  up  the  more  strenuous  duties  of  the  medical 
profession.  Dr.  Amos  Nourse  was  also  a  physician  of  thorough 
education  and  excellent  practice,  but,  like  Dr.  Mann,  he  was 
not  of  robust  constitution.  He  therefore  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment of  postmaster  at  Hallowell  which  he  held  from  1822 
until  the  time  of  his  removal  to  Bath,  in  1841.  He  married, 
first,  Clarissa  Augusta,  daughter  of  Hon.  John  Chandler  of 
Monmouth;  and,  second.  Miss  Melville  of  Boston.  He  died 
April  7,  1877. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Richardson  was  born  in  Springfield,  New 
Hampshire,  September  24,  1814.  He  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth College  in  1841,  and  from  the  medical  department  of  the 
University  of  New  York  in  1845.  He  settled  in  Hallowell 
about  1848,  and  will  long  be  remembered  by  our  townspeople 
as  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments  and  a  successful  physician. 
As  a  medical  practitioner,  Dr.  Richardson  was  enthusiastically 
and  conscientiously  devoted  to  his  profession,  and  rendered  his 
service  as  freely  to  the  poorer  as  well  as  to  the  richer  class  of 
patients.  Amidst  the  arduous  demands  of  his  practice,  Dr. 
Richardson  also  found  time  for  the  educational  and  phil- 
anthropic work  connected  with  the  various  new  movements  of 
the  time.  For  a  number  of  years  he  gave  his  services  gratui- 
tously as  librarian  to  the  Hallowell  Social  Library,  and 
collected  many  books  for  its  scantily  filled  shelves.  He  also 
gave  gratuitous  instruction  in  music  in  the  public  schools,  to 
the  great  delight  of  the  pupils  and  the  gratitude  of  the 
parents  in  those  earlier  days.  With  most  commendable  public 
spirit,  Dr.  Richardson  organized  free  lecture  courses  in  Hal- 
lowell, and  gave  lectures  himself  upon  subjects  that  opened  the 
newly  discovered  fields  of  science  to  the  people.  His  numerous 
contributions  to  the  press,  upon  scientific  and  literary  topics, 


Richardson 


were  alike  interesting  and  valuable.  During  his  long  residence 
in  Hallowell,  Dr.  Richardson  occupied  a  prominent  place  in 
the  social  and  religious  life  of  the  town.  He  was  a  devoted 
church  member  and  an  honored  deacon  in  the  old  South 
Church.  His  character  is  very  suggestive  of  that  of  "Dr. 
Urquhart,"  in  the  story  by  his  son,  Professor  Charles  F. 
Richardson,  entitled  The  End  of  the  Beginning.  Dr.  Richard- 
son married  first,  Caroline  Farnsworth  of  Bridgton.  The  only 
child  of  this  marriage  was  Harriet,  now  Mrs.  S.  S.  Turner  of 
Chicago.  Dr.  Richardson  married  for  his  second  wife,  Mary 
Wingate,  daughter  of  Joseph  Wingate  of  Hallowell.  Their 
son  is  Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson  of  Dartmouth  College. 
Dr.  Richardson  died  at  New  Marlborough,  Massachusetts, 
1877- 

Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson  was  born  at  Hallowell, 
fitted  for  college  at  the  Hallowell  Academy,  and  graduated 
from  Dartmouth  in  1871.  He  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Miner 
Thomas,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania,  a  granddaughter  of 
Charles  Miner,  of  editorial  and  congressional  fame,  and  a 
prominent  leader  in  the  early  antislavery  movement.  To  him 
the  American  public  is  indebted  for  that  ever-popular  phrase, 
**to  have  an  axe  to  grind."  ^  Professor  Richardson  began  his 
literary  life  as  an  editor  of  The  Independent^  and  was  sub- 
sequently a  member  of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Sunday  School 
Times,  Philadelphia,  and  of  Good  Literature ,  New  York.  In 
1882,  he  was  appointed  Winkley  Professor  of  Saxon  and  English 
at  Dartmouth.  He  is  the  author  of  A  Primer  of  American 
Literature,  1878;  The  Cross  (religious  poems),  1879;  The 
Choice  of  Books  (essays  on  reading),  1881;  American  Litera- 
ture, 2  vols.,  1886-8;  and  a  very  delightfully-written  novel 
entitled  The  End  of  the  Beginning,  the  scene  of  which  is  laid 
in  Hallowell.  In  addition  to  these  works.  Professor  Richardson 
has  edited  Cooper's  The  Last  of  the  Mohickns,  Poe  s  Works, 
Daniel  Webster  for  Young  Americans,  and,  in  connection  with 
other  editors,  The  College  Book,  The  International  Cyclopaedia, 
and   the   World's  Best   Poetry.    Professor   Richardson  has 


^  BartleWs  Familiar  Quotations 


190  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

attained  an  enviable  distinction  both  as  a  college  professor  and 
an  author,  and  he  is  recognized  in  scholarly  and  literary  circles  as 
a  standard  authority  on  American  Literature.  He  is  proudly 
claimed  by  Hallowell  as  one  of  her  most  gifted  and  distin- 
guished sons. 

According  to  an  old-fashioned  and  oft-quoted  expression, 
in  our  old  town,  there  were  certain  men  who  were  *'the  corner- 
stones and  pillars  of  society."  This  phrase  has  now  lost  much 
of  its  significance,  but  we  can  recall  the  time  when  it  was  not 
only  an  elegant  figure  of  speech  but  a  literal  truth.  In  the 
civic  and  social  structure  of  our  community,  there  was  a  class 
of  men  that  occupied  places  of  honor  and  trust,  and  filled  them 
so  worthily  that  no  one  ever  questioned  their  right  to  perpetual 
permanency  in  these  positions.  These  men  were  individual  char- 
acters. They  were  known  and  received  for  what  they  were. 
They  were  not  men  who  were  popular  for  a  day,  or  a  year, 
and  who  were  then  suddenly  dropped  from  the  regard  of  the 
public.  The  reputation  which  they  had  built  up  for  themselves 
was  secure.  Character  told  in  those  earlier  times;  and  the 
deep  and  lasting  impression  made  by  such  men  upon  the  com- 
munity can  not  be  better  illustrated  than  in  the  life  of 
the  Honorable  Simon  Page. 

Mr.  Page  was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  of  exceptional 
business  ability,  of  philanthropic  spirit,  of  sincere  devotion  to 
the  interests  of  the  town,  and  of  active  and  unswerving 
allegiance  to  all  moral  reforms  and  to  the  principles  of  Chris- 
tianity. He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Whittier  Page, 
and  was  born  in  Readfield,  Maine,  in  1804.  When  a  young 
man,  he  came  to  Hallowell  and  gradually  built  up  an  extensive 
business  in  oils,  paints,  drugs,  and  medicines.  He  engaged 
largely  in  local  manufacturing  enterprises,  and  was  one  of  the 
principal  promoters  of  the  Hallowell  cotton  factory,  and  of  the 
oilcloth  works  of  Stickney  and  Page,  later  of  Page,  Wilder,  and 
Company.  He  was  also,  for  some  time.  President  of  the  Hal- 
lowell Savings  Institution.  Mr.  Page  served  as  Mayor  of 
Hallowell  for  several  successive  terms,  and  his  first  address  to 
the  board  of  aldermen  discloses  the  true  public  spirit  and  high 


Mrs.  Simon  Page 


Page 


191 


moral  standard  of  the  man  whom  the  new-made  city  delighted 
to  honor. 

One  of  the  educational  projects,  very  dear  to  the  heart  of 
Mr.  Page,  was  the  establishment  of  the  Hallowell  Classical 
School.  On  this  institution  he  expended  much  of  "his  time  and 
thought,  and  a  large  portion  of  his  private  fortune.  But  the 
work  which  received  his  most  devoted  service,  and  which  has 
been  undoubtedly  the  most  far-reaching  in  its  effects  on  the 
life  and  character  of  the  young  people  of  Hallowell,  was  his 
long  superintendence  of  the  Old  South  Sunday  School.  For 
fifty  years,  Mr.  Page  carried  on  this  work  with  indefatigable 
energy  and  enthusiasm  and  in  a  spirit  of  entire  consecration  to 
the  cause.  The  influence  of  the  example,  precepts,  and  per- 
sonal teaching  of  such  a  man  upon  the  many  successive  classes 
of  children  under  his  charge  can  never  be  adequately  esti- 
mated. His  service  as  deacon  of  the  Old  South  Church 
covers  a  period  of  twenty-seven  years;  and  his  whole  life 
serves  as  an  example  of  ideal  Christian  citizenship. 

Mr.  Simon  Page  married  June  6,  1830,  Fraziette,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Benjamin  Page.  Their  children  were:  Benjamin,  who 
married,  in  1859,  Isabella  Kerswell,  of  Skowhegan;  Julia,  who 
married,  August  21,  1866,  Henry  Sampson,  Esq.,  of  New 
York;  and  Miss  Annie  F.  Page,  who  now  resides  in  Hallowell. 
Mr.  Simon  Page  died  July  30,  1878.  Mrs.  Fraziette  Page  died 
February  5,  1889.  The  following  tribute  to  her  memory  is 
from  the  pen  of  one  who  knew  her  well : 

Fraziette  Page  was  the  third  daughter  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
and  Abigail  Page,  born  in  Hallowell,  there  married,  and  there 
spending  her  whole  life.  Her  marriage  to  Mr.  Simon  Page 
was  an  ideal  one,  and  together  they  worked  and  lived  for  the 
good  of  others.  Mr.  Page  was  devoted  to  his  church  and 
Sunday  School,  as  well  as  to  his  business,  and  Mrs.  Page,  to 
works  of  benevolence  and  mercy.  All  the  missionary  and 
philanthropic  movements  of  the  day  were  in  their  thoughts  and 
plans  even  to  the  then  much-despised  cause  of  the  antislavery 
society.  For  many  years,  Mrs.  Page  was  President  of  the 
Hallowell  Benevolent  Society,  and  her  deeds  for  the  poor  were 
numberless.    Of  great  energy,  strong  in  her  religious  faith,  and 


192 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


with  a  wonderful  power  of  endurance,  she  used  all  her  endow- 
ments of  mind  and  body  as  gifts  of  God  for  which  she  was 
accountable  to  Him." 

The  home  of  the  Pages  has  ever  been  noted  for  its 
hospitality.  Here  the  minister,  the  missionary,  the  professor, 
the  student,  the  social  guest  of  high  degree,  and  the  poor  of 
low  estate,  were  alike  welcomed  and  cordially  entertained.  In 
these  latter  days,  the  Page  house,  which  is  now  the  residence 
of  Miss  Annie  F.  Page,  has  lost  none  of  its  old-time  atmosphere 
of  hospitality ;  nor  do  the  hand  and  heart  of  the  present  mistress 
of  the  mansion  lack  the  generous  helpfulness  and  sympathetic 
spirit  characteristic  of  the  former  occupants  of  this  dwelling. 
Happy  are  the  guests  who  sit  in  the  old  Chippendale  chairs 
around  its  cheery  hearthstone,  or  who  have  a  place  at  the  hos- 
pitable board  laden  with  antique  silver  and  the  beautiful  old 
china  brought  from  far-off  countries  in  the  famous  old  seafar- 
ing days.  Thrice  happy  they  who  are  permitted  to  open  the 
doors  of  the  great  shelf-lined  store-rooms,  to  *^take  down"  the 
rare  and  curious  plates,  the  quaint  pitchers,  and  the  tall,  long- 
empty,  drinking  glasses,  or  to  range  at  will  in  the  spacious 
pantry  of  the  forty  platters. 

The  Simon  Page  house,  like  many  of  the  old  mansions  of 
Hallowell,  has  a  handsome  doorway,  with  quaint  side  windows 
and  chaste  colonial  pilasters  of  much  architectural  merit.  On 
yesternight,  this  doorway  framed  a  fitting  picture.  It  was  that 
of  my  lady  hostess,  in  "lavender  and  old  lace,"  standing  be- 
neath its  portals,  and  holding  above  her  head  a  gleaming 
candle  to  light  the  pathway,  beneath  the  giant  elms,  for  her 
departing  guests.  To  those  who  paused  a  moment  for  a  last 
good-night,  this  picture  seemed  symbolic  of  the  old-time  spirit 
of  hospitality  which  still  abides  within  the  homes  of  Hallowell. 


/ 


The  Old  South  Church 


XII 

THE  OLD  SOUTH  CHURCH 

"  It  was  built  for  God  —  it  was  built  for  man  ; 
A  Church  of  Christ,  on  the  Master's  plan.'* 

— Mary  B.  Moody. 

A LEARNED  Puritan  divine,  the  Rev.  Cotton  Mather, 
once  gave  a  recipe  for  making  a  New  England  village. 
The  ^'ingredients"  were  a  meeting-house,  a  school- 
house,  a  training  field,  and  a  town-meeting.  Old 
Hallowell  certainly  possessed  all  of  these  requisites;  but  the 
chief  essential,  in  the  opinion  of  our  forefathers,  was  the  meet- 
ing-house. Accordingly,  in  the  year  1796,  the  Old  South 
Church  was  built. 

This  famous  old  meeting-house  was  for  nearly  a  century  * 
the  most  venerated  and  most  imposing  edifice  in  .  Hallowell. 
Its  majestic  proportions,  its  noble  architecture,  and  its  beautiful 
belfry  tower,  designed  by  Charles  Bulfinch,  combined  to  give 
this  old-time  meeting-house  an  artistic  charm  unusual  in  its  day. 
Standing  at  quite  an  elevation  above  the  river  shore,  the  meet- 
ing-house was  the  most  conspicuous  object  in  the  landscape, 
and  with  its  belfry,  which  towered  above  the  houses  clustered 
on  the  hill-side,  it  gave  to  Hallowell  the  aspect  of  an  old 
cathedral  town. 

The  Old  South  was  long  called  the  "standing  church"  of 
Hallowell.  As  a  moral  and  spiritual  power  in  the  community, 
it  reigned  supreme.  This  church,  from  its  foundation,  created 
the  public  sentiment  of  the  town,  assumed  the  guidance  of  the 
personal  religious  experience  of  its  members,  apd  gave  to  society 
a  spiritual  and  intellectual  element  that  not  only  regulated  the 
morals  of  the  place  but  refined  and  elevated  the  every-day  life 
of  the  people. 

This  ancient  church  was  organized,  February  25,  1790, 
and  was  called  the  Congregational  Church  of  Christ  of  the 


194 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Chester  Plantation.  The  origin  of  this  name  is  easily  explained. 
At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  church,  Hallowell  was 
regarded  as  the  center  of  all  public  interests  for  a  large  extent 
of  out-lying  country,  including  Chester  Plantation  in  the  Sandy 
River  valley.  The  goodly  settlers  in  this  remote  region  were 
quite  unwilling  to  dispense  with  the  privileges  of  the  gospel  and 
therefore  traveled  regularly  with  their  families,  from  Chester  to 
Hallowell,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles,  to  attend  divine  worship 
on  the  Sabbath. 

The  leading  men  of  Chester  soon  became  disaffected  with 
the  irregular  and  the  sometimes  unorthodox  preaching  of  the 
various  ministerial  candidates  who  officiated  at  the  Fort,  and 
therefore  besought  some  of  the  brethren  to  unite  with  them  and 
form  a  new  church  at  the  Hook.  This  was  done;  and  the 
Chester  members  gave  their  name  to  the  church  w^ith  the 
privilege  of  retaining  it  when  they  should  be  able  to  have  a 
church  organization  of  their  own.  The  Chester  members  were 
Samuel  and  Jonathan  Sewall,  Thomas  and  Abram  Davenport. 
The  Hallowell  members  were  Deacon  Benjamin  Pettengill, 
Deacon  Obediah  Harris,  William  McMaster,  Samuel  Sweat, 
and  Henry  Sewall,  After  a  few  years  the  members  from  Chester 
withdrew,  and  the  church  at  the  Hook  changed  its  name  to  the 
"Congregational  Church  of  Hallowell."  In  1794,  the  members 
of  this  church  voted  *'to  hire  a  teacher  of  Piety,  Religion,  and 
Morality,"  and  to  take  measures  for  the  erection  of  a  meeting- 
house. In  November  of  this  year,  a  call  was  extended  to  the 
Rev.  Eliphalet  Gillet,  who  was  ordained  August  12,  1795.  The 
Church  at  this  time  had  ten  members,  all  of  whom  were  men. 

The  first  services  under  Mr.  Gillet's  pastorate,  were  held 
in  the  Academy;  but,  in  1796,  a  lot  of  land  was  purchased  from 
Peter  Clark  and  others  for  ^150,  and  a  committee  consisting  of 
Moses  Sewall,  Robert  Randall,  and  Jason  Livermore  was 
appointed  "to  procure  materials  and  proceed  to  build  in  such  a 
way  and  manner"  as  they  deemed  expedient,  "subject  to  the 
discretion  of  the  Parish."  The  "way  and  manner"  adopted  by 
this  committee,  proved  most  satisfactory  to  the  church  members 
of  that  day  and  to  succeeding  generations.  The  church,  as 
completed  in  1798,  was  a  large,  well-proportioned  edifice  entered 


The  Old  South  Church 


195 


by  three  doors  which  were  reached  by  a  long  flight  of  steps  at 
either  side  of  the  east  facade.  Not  many  years  afterwards,  these 
doors  were  transformed  into  windows,  and  an  entrance  was 
made  in  the  vestibule  below.  As  first  completed,  this  meeting- 
house had  a  square  belfry  in  which  hung  a  bell  purchased  from 
Paul  Revere,  in  1802. 

The  original  subscription  list,  containing  the  names  of  the 
contributors  to  the  purchase  of  this  bell,  and  also  a  manuscript 
letter  from  Paul  Revere  and  Son,  may  still  be  seen  at  the 
Hubbard  Free  Library. 

The  letter  is  dated  August  17,  1802,  and  reads  as  follows: 

Mr.  Jason  Livermore, 

Sir:  Yours  of  the  12th  ins't  came  to  hand.  The  lowest  price  is  ten 
shillings  &  eight  pence  per  lb.  The  bells  are  seldom  broken  except  by 
accident,  it  is  impossible  to  warrant  them  for  any  time.  But  should  the 
Bell  break  by  any  fault  in  the  Making,  we  shall  feel  ourselves  account- 
able. If  you  will  pay  the  money  to  Capt.  Bruister  we  will  settle  with 
him  for  the  bell.    We  are  with  Respect 

Your  Humble 

Servants 

PAUL  REVERE  &  SON. 

In  1806,  the  famous  belfrey  tower  designed  by  Charles 
Bulfinch  was  added  to  the  church.  This  belfrey  was  sur- 
mounted by  a  lantern  top  with  an  octagonal  pinacle.  Beautiful 
columns  at  the  angles  of  the  lantern  supported  its  roof;  and 
between  the  columns  were  arched  openings  which  gave 
harmony  and  picturesqueness  to  the  effect.  This  bell-tower 
stood  for  seventy  years  and  lost  none  of  its  architectural 
beauty.  *Tt  had  in  it,"  as  someone  has  aptly  written,  "a 
quality  of  immortality,— that  subtle  something,  which  we  call 
soul  that  makes  the  difference  between  the  work  of  an  artist 
and  a  mechanic.  The  architect  breathed  life  into  it.  It  was 
not  a  copy  of  anything,  but  a  new  creation,  /it  had  an  idea  in 
it,  a  thought,  a  permanence.  Could  it  have  been  preserved 
hundreds  of  years  it  would  have  been  then  as  fresh  and  beau- 
tiful as  the  day  v/hen  first  completed." 

The  inside  of  the  church  was  spacious  and  marked  by 
unobtrusive  excellence  and  harmony  of  design.    The  pulpit  at 


196 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  west  end  was  a  tall  semi-circular  structure  reached  by 
stairs  on  either  side.  The  galleries  occupying  three  sides  of 
the  house  were  supported  by  large  and  well-proportioned 
columns  thoroughly  in  harmony  with  other  parts  of  the 
interior  of  the  church.  The  pews  of  the  church  were  long  and 
wide  with  high  backs  and  doors.  These  large  pews  were 
usually  well  filled  throughout  the  church  even  in  winter  when 
the  house  was  unheated  save  by  the  small  foot-stoves,  which 
the  little  boys  carried  for  their  mother's  use,  and  which,  we 
doubt  not,  the  mother  often  tucked  under  the  feet  of  her  little 
ones.  In  1816,  a  stove  was  for  the  first  time  placed  in  the 
church  to  temper  the  frigid  atmosphere  for  these  faithful  old- 
time  worshipers. 

The  Old  South  Church  from  the  time  of  the  ordination  of 
its  first  minister,  in  1795,  to  the  year  1907  has  had  twelve 
pastors:  Rev.  Eliphalet  Gillet,  Rev.  George  Shepard,  Rev. 
Eli  Thurston,  Rev.  Nathan  Rogers,  Rev.  J.  P.  Skeele,  Rev. 
H.  Q.  Butterfield,  Rev.  A.  Fuller,  Rev.  C.  G.  McGuUy, 
Rev.  Charles  A.  White,  Rev.  Edward  Chase,  Rev.  John  R.  • 
Boardman,  Rev.  Charles  A.  Wight.  The  first  pastor.  Rev. 
Eliphalet  Gillet,  ministered  to  the  people  for  thirty-two  years. 
His  name  and  his  personality  are  associated  with  all  of  the 
early  records  of  the  church  and  of  the  town.  His  pastorate 
presents  an  example  of  the  typical  old-time  ministry,  when  a 
candidate,  once  accepted,  was  practically  ordained  for  life.  In 
those  days,  the  talents  of  the  minister  were  exalted ;  his  virtues 
were  reverenced;  his  follies  and  weaknesses,  if  perchance  he 
had  any,  were  charitably  condoned.  The  man  was  apotheo- 
sized by  his  office.  His  authority  was  unquestioned,  and  the 
dignity  of  his  position  was  unassailed.  Happy  were  the 
congregations  that,  like  the  Old  South  of  Hallowell,  were 
fortunate  enough  to  secure  a  pastor  in  all  respects  so 
acceptable  as  Dr.  Gillet. 

This  representative  old-time  minister  was  regarded  as  an 
able,  learned,  and  eloquent  preacher.  We  are  told,  by  those 
who  remember  him,  that  Dr.  Gillet  was  "a  refined  and 
scholarly-looking  man,  tall  and  slender  and  very  graceful.  He 
always  appeared  smoothly  shaven  and  neatly  attired  in  black 


Residence  of  Rev.  Dr.  GiIvI^et 


The  Old  South  Church 


197 


broadcloth.  In  the  pulpit  he  wore  linen  bands  and  black  silk 
gloves.  He  never  drove  a  horse,  but  always  employed  a  boy 
or  man  to  drive  for  him  when  his  duties  took  him  into  the 
country.  He  resided  in  the  old  brick  parsonage  on  Second 
Street,  now  the  home  of  Hon.  J.  Warren  Fuller.  Here  Mr. 
Gillet  cultivated  a  garden  famed  for  its  beautiful  flowers ;  and 
in  this  garden  the  children  of  the  parish  were  often  welcomed 
and  delightfully  entertained.  "Our  Puritan  minister, "  writes 
Rev.  John  S.  C.  Abbott,  **was  as  tender  and  loving  as  an  angel. 
He  never  uttered  a  harsh  word.  The  most  fastidious  taste 
could  never  be  annoyed  by  any  expression  that  passed  his  lips 
in  the  pulpit.  His  sermons  would  now  attract  attention  by 
their  rhetorical  excellence." 

A  collection  of  Dr.  Gillet's  sermons  are  preserved  in  the 
Hubbard  Free  Library.  It  has  been  said  of  them  that  "they 
are  models  of  pulpit  eloquence  and  packed  full  of  wise 
counsels."  They  won  for  this  old-time  preacher  the  name  of 
the  "Addison  of  Maine." 

In  1827,  after  a  long  pastorate  of  thirty-two  years,  Dr.' 
Gillet  was  dismissed  from  the  Old  South  Congregational 
Church  to  become  Secretary  of  the  Maine  Missionary  Society. 
This  Society  was  organized  June  18,  1807,  at  the  house  of  Dr. 
Gillet.  One  hundred  years  later,  the  centennial  anniversary  of 
the  founding  of  the  society  was  celebrated  in  the  same  house. 
On  this  interesting  occasion  an  address  was  read  by  Rev.  C.  A. 
Wight,  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Hallowell,  who 
paid  an  appreciative  and  worthy  tribute  to  the  life  and  services 
of  Dr.  Gillet  as  minister  of  the  Old  South  Church  and  Secretary 
of  the  Maine  Missionary  Society. 

Rev.  Eliphalet  Gillet  was  born  in  Colchester,  Connecticut, 
November  19,  1768.  He  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in 
1 791,  studied  theology  with  the  famous  Dr.  Spring  of  Newbury- 
port,  and  was  ordained  minister  of  the  Old  South  Church  of 
Hallowell,  August  12,  1795.  He  married.  May  25,  1805,  Mary 
Gurley,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Gurley,  and  had  a  large  and  in- 
teresting family  of  ten  children.  Dr.  Gillet  died  October  19, 
1845.  His  burial  place  in  the  Hallowell  cemetery  was  visited 
by  the  delegates  to  the  Centenary  of  the  Maine  Missionary  So- 


198  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

ciety,  and  impressive  services  were  held,  at  sunset,  on  June  18, 
1907,  in  memory  of  this  famous  minister  of  a  century  ago. 

An  interesting  description  of  some  of  the  prominent 
members  of  the  Old  South  congregation  has  been  given  to  us 
by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Ingraham  in  his  Lights  and  Shadows  of  the 
Past: 

"There  used  to  be  a  great  deal  of  wealth  and  fashion  and 
aristocracy  displayed  at  the  Old  South.  .  .  .  The  broad 
aisle  pews  were  considered,  as  we  believe  they  are  now-a-days, 
the  most  desirable  and  genteel,  and  the  more  genteel  the 
nearer  the  pulpit.  We  can  remember  there  old  Dr.  Vaughan, 
with  his  venerable  J ohn-Quincy- Adams-like  figure,  in  his  re- 
spectable suit  of  black  and  ruffles,  and  his  powdered  hair  and 
queue.  .  .  .  There  was  also  to  be  seen  every  Sabbath, 
Judge  Robbins  in  a  blue  surtout  and  wide  plaited  ruffles  with 
his  head  powdered  white  as  snow,  and  his  queue  wound  with 
black  ribbon  and  neatly  tied  with  a  bow.  He  always  wore  a 
white  vest  and  carried  a  gold-headed  cane,  with  very  elegant 
white  doe-skin  gloves.  Judge  Dummer  also,  a  portly  and 
noble-looking  gentleman,  in  ruffs  and  queue  and  powder, 
usually  dressed  in  a  black  coat  with  broad  skirts  and  buff 
breeches,  with  white  top  boots.  There  too  were  to  be  found 
the  two  venerable  Dr.  Pages,  father  and  son,  gentlemen  of  fine 
persons  and  courtly  dignity  of  appearance.  The  elder  was 
a  noble  specimen  of  the  elderly  gentleman  of  the  close  of  the 
last  century,  .  .  .  the  latter  leaving  behind  him  a  name 
that  will  long  be  distinguished  in  the  annals  of  medical  juris- 
prudence. 

"In  another  part  of  the  church,  was  'old  Squire  Perley' 
with  his  straight  queue  which  was  rather  carelessly  tied,  and 
his  coat  collar  besprinkled  with  powder.  He  was  a  prominent 
member  of  the  bar,  a  man  of  great  intellect,  and  distinguished 
for  his  wit  and  peculiarities.  In  the  southwest  corner  pew 
sat  Gideon  Oilman;  and  in  the  next,  John  Rice,  as  constant  as 
the  minister,  though  his  home  was  distant  four  miles.  In  the 
northwest  corner  was  Judge  Wilde,  afterwards  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Judicial  Court  of  Massachusetts,  seated  in  a  rocking- 
chair  in  the  center,  his  family  surrounding  him  on  three  sides. 


The  Old  South  Church 


199 


In  the  northeast  corner  square  pew  sat  John  Sewall,  for  many 
years  parish  clerk,  who,  just  as  the  services  were  to  begin, 
would  rise  and  cry  intentions  of  marriage,  much  to  the  grati- 
fication of  eager  Usteners. 

**In  the  south  gallery  sat  Mr.  Phineas  Yeaton.  Next  east 
sat  Thomas  and  Joseph  Leigh  and  Mr.  Elias  Bond;  east  of 
them  were  seats  for  strangers  and  stray  boys.  In  the  gallery 
on  the  north  side  was  *old  Deacon  Gow,'  as  he  was  called,  a 
little  short  man,  square  built,  leaning  over  with  his  hand  to  his 
ear  (for  he  was  a  little  deaf)  to  catch  every  word,  sometimes 
looking  back  to  certain  noisy  boys  who  had  stolen  up  stairs 
away  from  their  parents,  and  shaking  his  finger  at  them  with  a 
dark  knitting  of  his  shaggy  brows.  He  was  a  terror  to  juvenile 
evil-doers,  and  once  he  acted  as  *  tithing  man,'  an  office  now 
unknown,  and  would  go  out  and  bring  in  by  the  ears  all 
truant  boys.  At  such  times  he  carried  a  long,  red  staff  of 
office.  He  was  a  deacon  in  the  Old  South  Church  almost 
from  its  commencement  to  his  death.  He  was  longremem-, 
bered  for  his  life-long,  consistent  piety.  Opposite  him  was  Mr. 
John  Merrick,  a  remarkable  man,  whom  those  who  have  once 
seen  can  never  forget.  In  his  later  years,  with  his  elastic, 
graceful  figure,  his  unusually  intellectual  features,  and  his  long 
snowy  locks,  he  was  the  picture  of  a  patriarch.  Near  him  was 
another  whose  noble,  benevolent,  snow-white  head  once  seen 
could  never  be  forgotten.  As  he  rises  in  the  last  prayer  what  an 
imposing  figure  he  displays!  This  is  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan,  an 
English  gentleman  of  retiring  habits  and  agricultural  tastes, 
whose  estate  was  just  out  of  town  and  whose  gardens  were  the 
wonder  of  the  whole  region.  And  there  were  Dummers, 
Moodys,  Sewalls,  Leonards,  Abbotts,  Cheevers,  Emmons, 
Farrels,  Gilmans,  Doles,  Leighs,  Bonds,  Smiths,  and  Pages,  and 
scores  of  others  all  worthy  of  special  mention: 

''The  singers'  seats,  two  rows  in  each ^ gallery ,  extended 
from  the  north  to  the  south  galleries.  Mr.  Samuel  Tenney, 
before  the  days  of  the  organ,  was  leader  of  the  choir,  and  he,  in 
his  grey  coat,  wielded  a  large  bow  over  the  strings  of  a 
mammoth  bass  viol.  With  what  a  clear  musical  voice  he 
gives  the  pitch,  while  a  well-trained  choir  gives  with  fine  effect 


200 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


one  of  Watts'  hymns.  Preceptor  Moody,  Messrs.  John 
Merrick,  Jacob  Abbott,  S.  G.  Ladd,  Samuel  Locke,  Samuel 
Manning,  and  David  Heard  were  the  principal  male  singers. 
Later,  Mr.  Paul  Stickney,  a  leader  among  leaders,  was  choir- 
director  for  many  years.  The  female  singers,  were  modestly 
partitioned  off  in  a  compartment  of  their  own.  The  leading 
parts  were  taken  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Bond  and  Miss  Lucy  G. 
Dummer,  afterwards  Mrs.  Samuel  K.  Gilman." 

There  was  at  this  time  no  organ  in  the  church,  but,  in 
1823,  a  fine  instrument,  made  in  England,  at  a  cost  of  nine  hun- 
dred dollars,  was  purchased.  About  half  of  this  amount  was  con- 
tributed by  the  grandchildren  of  Benjamin  Hallowell,  Esq.  This 
fine  old  organ  with  its  Gothic  front,  its  gilded  pipes,  and  sweet- 
toned,  harmonious  keys  held  a  revered  place  in  the  sanctuary 
until,  in  the  lamentable  fire  of  1878,  it  mingled  its  dust  and 
ashes  with  those  of  the  old  South  meeting-house. 

A  beautiful  tribute  to  the  Old  South,  and  to  the  music  of 
its  choir,  once  came  floating  back  to  Hallowell  from  the  far-off 
seas  of  the  Orient.  It  was  from  the  pen  of  the  Kennebecker 
whom  we  all  know  as  that  loyal  son  of  Hallowell,  Captain 
John  F.  Drew.  This  tribute  should  be  enshrined  among  the 
archives  of  the  church. 

"Paul  Stickney  led  the  choir, — Barnekoy  presided  at  the 
organ.    They  sang: 

**Oh,  when  thou  city  of  my  God,  shall  I  thy  courts  ascend, 
Where  congregations  ne'er  break  up  and  Sabbaths  have  no  end — 
In  joy!    in  joy! — and  peace!    and  peace! — "  \ 

A  soft  soprano  sang,  "In  joy  and  peace,"  alone;  then  the 
full  choir  in  mighty  chorus, — "In  joy  and  peace  in  thee!" — 
John  Odlin  Page,  the  basso,  going  way  down  among  the  notes 
where  but  few  men  could  go.  How  I  remember  this.  There 
was  the  great  congregation  on  their  feet  facing  the  singers ;  it 
was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  sun,  getting  ready  to  decline 
over  the  hills  behind  the  church,  sent  glories  in  through  the 
back  windows  on  many  of  the  best  men  and  women  in  Hal- 
lowell. Young  men,  men  in  their  prime,  men  with  silvery 
locks;  fair  maidens,  beautiful  women,  true  matrons  with  silver 


The  Old  South  Church 


201 


threads  among  the  gold,  women  grown  old  and  gray  in  sorrow 
and  trouble.  There  were  the  Pages,  Rufus  K.,  then  the  great 
steamboat  man  of  the  state,  Simon,  so  well  known  and  true, 
and  Charles,  whom  everyone  far  and  near  knew.  Then  the 
Doles  and  Stickneys,  the  Masters,  Smiths,  and  Livermores, 
and  so  many  more  that  I  might  mention  all  with  honest  re- 
spect and  pride,  .  .  .  how  plain  it  all  comes  back  to  me. 
.  .  .  Most  of  that  assembled  congregation  have  gone 
*Where  congregations  ne'er  break  up  and  Sabbaths  have  no 
end.'  Somehow  to  my  young  mind  the  ascending  of  the 
Heavenly  courts,  the  streets  of  shining  gold,  the  gates  of 
pearl,  got  fixed,  as  though  Paul  Stickney,  the  sweet  soprano 
voice,  John  Odlin  Page,  and  the  other  singers  would  have 
much  to  do  with  them  and  the  Heavenly  choir;  there  would  be 
sweet-toned  organs  with  gilded  pipes,  wonderful  to  behold  and 
hear,  as  well  as  heavenly  harps  and  angels,  and  silvery-haired 
men  and  golden-haired  women,  in  that  beautiful  abode;  and  my 
father  would  be  there  holding  me  by  the  hand  lest  I  should  lose 
my  way  and  stray  off  to  some  bad  place,  and  Pastor  Thurston 
would  raise  his  arms  over  the  waiting  congregation  who  would 
turn  round  and  face  him  for  their  benediction  in  the  last  rays  of 
the  glorious  sun,  with  a  circle  over  his  head,  saying:  Holiness 
becometh  thy  House^  oh  God! 

**I  have  witnessed  impressive  religious  ceremonies  in  the 
great  cathedrals  and  churches  in  the  seaports  and  other  cities  I 
have  visited.  I  have  stood  where  the  grand  music  of  the  best 
masters  rang  through  the  minster  walls,  shaking  and  rustling 
banners  and  guidons  that  had  hung  there  for  centuries.  The 
last  was  when  the  Arch-Bishop  of  all  the  Philippines  per- 
formed High  Mass  at  a  celebrated  religious  festival  in  the 
great  Cathedral  at  Manilla.  As  he  was  borne  from  the  altar  in 
his  palanquin,  or  chair  of  state,  down  the  bro^d  aisle,  he  passed 
very  near  me,  with  his  crozier  and  mitred  /  hat  and  robes  of 
gold.  Hundreds  of  voices  with  a  full  orchestra  and  the  great 
organ  gave  the  seductive,  witching  music  of  the  Romish 
church,  now  low,  now  in  great  hosannas;  the  thronged  pro- 
cession with  priests  and  monks  of  different  orders,  with  bell 
and  cowl,  chanted  their  orisons;  the  soft  Indian  light  came  in 


202 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


through  stained  glass  windows,  rare  and  costly;  there  were 
crowded  worshippers  on  their  knees  in  adoration;  and  what 
else,  what  beside  the  swelling  censers,  the  perfumes,  and  lull- 
ing, soothing  influences  of  precious  burning  gums?  Why,  my 
mind  was  far  away  to  that  Old  South  Cathedral  Church  in 
Hallowell;  and  it  was  Paul  Stickney  again  and  his  choir,  and 
the  soft  sunset,  and  the  congregation,  and  angels,  and  *  Jeru- 
salem, my  Heavenly  Home,'  and  myself  a  little  boy  holding  on 
to  my  father's  hand.  .  .  .  Yes,  whether  it  be  the  Stabat 
Mater,  or  the  Rosary,  or  the  Benedicite,  or  anything  else,  my 
mind  invariably  wanders  back  to  that  old  time,  in  the  Old 
South  church,  the  Hallowell  Cathedral  (to  me),  and  I  immedi- 
ately hear  again,  ^Jerusalem,  my  Heavenly  Home.'  " 

In  1839,  the  Paul  Revere  bell,  for  some  unexplained 
reason,  was  exchanged  for  a  new  one,  and  a  clock  was  placed  in 
the  church  at  the  same  time.  An  amusing  anecdote  is  related 
of  this  clock,  by  Miss  Annie  F.  Page,  in  her  valuable  and 
interesting  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Old  South  Church.  "This 
clock,"  as  Miss  Page  writes,  "usually  performed  its  work  like 
any  well-behaved  instrument  of  its  kind,  but  once,  becoming 
tired  probably  of  the  quiet  round  of  duty,  it  played  a  trick  on 
the  congregation  which  well-nigh  produced  disastrous  results. 
One  pleasant  summer  Sunday,  the  pastor,  Mr.  Thurston,  ex- 
changed pulpits  with  Mr.  Peet  of  Gardiner,  and  a  large  audi- 
ence was  assembled  to  hear  and  do  honor  to  the  stranger.  In 
the  midst  of  the  discourse  a  most  unearthly  noise  was  heard 
which  paralyzed  the  preacher,  and  brought  the  congregation  to 
their  feet.  The  guns  of  an  attacking  enemy  could  not  have 
been  more  startling.  Some  thought  it  was  an  earthquake 
capable  of  swallowing  up  the  whole  town;  some,  that  the  last 
day  had  come,  and  all,  with  blanched  faces,  awaited  the  result 
in  horror.  One  young  man  fainted  and  was  seized  by  the  arms 
and  legs  and  borne  from  the  church.  The  occupant  of  the 
northwest  corner  pew  raised  the  window,  put  out  all  his 
children,  and  arranged  himself  in  readiness  for  a  jump  in  case 
the  walls  should  fall.  One  tall,  angular  sister  frantically 
waved  her  long  arms  beckoning  the  minister,  who  was  calmly 
awaiting  the  result,  and  crying  out:    'Come  down,  come  down, 


The  Old  South  Church 


203 


save  yourself,  save  yourself!'  No  one  could  account  for  the 
terrible  noise,  and  no  one  could  tell  its  source.  It  continued 
one  or  two  minutes,  increasing  in  intensity,  when  it  suddenly 
stopped,  just  as  Mr.  Burnham,  the  High  School  teacher,  who 
had  been  into  the  porch,  rushed  back  exclaiming,  'Don't  be 
alarmed;  it's  only  the  clock  running  down!'  It  was  after- 
wards learned  that  the  clock  had  been  wound  up  that  morning 
and  the  weight  was  at  its  highest  point.  The  pole  that  held 
the  rachet  wheel  had  given  way,  causing  the  "wheels  of  time  to 
fly  swifter  round."  Mr.  Peet  did  not  attempt  to  finish  his 
sermon. 

In  1855,  about  the  time  when  New  England  people  as  a 
class,  began  to  tire  of  everything  that  was  antique  and  old- 
fashioned,  whatever  its  artistic  merits,  the  Old  South  Meeting- 
house was  pronounced  "old-fashioned  and  ugly,"  and  extensive 
repairs  and  the  most  deplorable  "improvements"  were  made. 
The  great  columns  were  supplanted  by  little  sticks  about  as 
large  as  a  man's  arm ;  the  windows  were  pointed  out  in  Gothic 
style  which  harmonized  with  nothing  else  in  the  building.  The 
old  pulpit  was  thrown  away,  the  arched  inscription  behind  it, — 
Holiness  becometh  Thine  Housc^  O  Lord^  forever — was  re- 
lentlessly blotted  out;  but  to  the  hearts  of  the  people,  the 
meeting-house  remained  the  same  revered  Old  South. 

Then,  at  last,  there  came  a  melancholy  day  when  the 
familiar  Old  South  Church  stood  no  longer  in  our  midst.  On 
the  fateful  night  of  December  i,  1878,  this  ancient  and  ven- 
erated landmark  was  utterly  destroyed  by  fire.  Every  effort 
was  made  to  save  the  church,  but  all  in  vain.  The  tongues  of 
fire  fiends  curled  around  its  pillars,  darted  in  and  out  of  its 
windows,  crept  swiftly  up  its  walls,  and  leaped  triumphantly  to 
the  very  top  of  the  beautiful  old  bell-tower.  The  whole  popu- 
lation of  the  old  town  stood,  at  first  wild,  and  then  mute  with 
sorrow,  while  the  devastating  element  irresikibly,  exultantly, 
did  its  direful  work. 

Those  who  loved  the  old  church  best  will  never  forget  the 
splendid  yet  heart-breaking  spectacle  of  this  memorable  con- 
flagration. As  those  who  in  their  latest  hours  recall  in  swift 
review  the  scenes  of  a  whole  long  life,  so  the  men  and  women 


204 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


who  constituted  the  soul  of  which  this  old  meeting-house  was 
the  earthly  tenement,  stood  under  the  smoke-dimmed  skies 
while  through  their  minds  surged  the  memories  of  their  own 
lives  and  the  traditions  of  their  fathers.  Visions  of  stately  men 
and  women  pass  once  more  up  and  down  the  minster  aisles. 
Little  children  nestle,  half  in  fear  and  half  in  joy,  beside  their 
mothers  in  the  great  high-backed  pews.  The  sunlight  streams 
in  through  the  tall  Gothic  windows,  and  words  of  holy  prayer 
are  ascending  from  the  altar.  The  people  hear  the  great  bell 
toll  once  more  for  the  passing  soul  of  him  who  first  dispensed 
the  bread  of  life  within  these  crumbling  walls.  They  hear 
the  sweet-toned  organ,  and  the  sweet  voices  chanting,  "How 
beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  Him  who  bringeth 
good  tidings,"  as  a  young  man  walks  up  the  aisle  to  receive  the 
holy  ordinances  of  the  ministry.  Each  soul  in  silence  recalls 
its  own  experience,  while  the  clamor,  the  roar,  and  the  cries  of 
the  surging  multitude  fill  the  air.  Suddenly  there  is  a  mighty 
crash.  All  eyes  turn  upward;  the  red  light  shines  for  the  last 
time  on  the  white  face  of  the  old  church-clock,  and  at  exactly 
ten  minutes  past  four,  the  beautiful  and  beloved  bell-tower 
falls,  and  the  Old  South  meeting-house  is  no  more. 

To  the  memory  of  the  "Old  South  Church  of  Hallowell," 
remains  this  tribute  from  the  pen  of  Miss  Mary  A.  Moody: 

The  Old  South  Church  of  Hallowell! 
Sweet  and  clear,  like  a  silver  bell, 
Like  breath  of  spring  or  song  of  birds, 
Come  to  many,  these  simple  words. 
The  stranger  may  pass  with  careless  eye, 
The  liquid  syllables  heedless  by: 
Not  so  the  hearts  that  have  loved  it  well, 
The  Old  South  Church  of  Hallowell! 

How  rose  that  Church  from  the  lowly  sod. 
When  the  best  they  had  men  gave  to  God, 
Hewn  from  the  heart  of  the  living  tree, 
Tall,  and  goodly,  and  fair  to  see? 
Slowly  it  rose,  to  their  waiting  eyes, 
A  holy  thing  for  sacrifice. — 
With  earnest  heart  and  purpose  true, 
They  "builded  better  than  they  knew. " 


The  Old  South  Church 


205 


No  stately  ritual  echoed  there: 
Few  and  simple  the  words  of  prayer; 
The  consecration  need  scarce  be  spoken ; 
The  House  was  God's  without  word  or  token: 
It  was  built  for  God — it  was  built  for  man ; 
A  Church  of  Christ,  on  the  Master's  plan. 
They  passed  it  on  to  our  love  and  care, 
Their  holy  and  beautiful  House  of  Prayer. 

Is  it  dead?    Did  it  die  when  it  passed  from  sight, 

'  Twixt  dark  and  dawn  that  wintry  night? 

Die — Is  there  any  such  word  as  die, 

For  faith  and  love  and  loyalty? 

Doth  God  forget  the  hands  that  wrought 

To  make  just  here  a  hallowed  spot? 

The  words,  from  lips  growing  white  and  set, 

'  *  Remember  the  Church ! ' '    Doth  he  forget? 

Pour  out  the  silver — pour  out  the  gold. 
In  the  Master's  ear  let  the  tale  be  told. 
From  near  and  far  must  the  treasure  come ; 
Ye  wanderers — send  of  your  fulness  home, 
From  bursting  bags  or  the  widow's  hand, 
With  an  equal  eye,  each  gift  is  scanned. 
And  large  or  small,  they  shall  all  be  one, 
When  the  Master  saith  to  his  own,  **Well  done." 

Spotless  and  pure,  must  our  temple  rise, 

A  holy  thing  for  sacrifice; 

Hewn  from  the  heart  of  the  solid  rock 

Patiently,  carefully,  block  by  block. 

Faint  not  nor  fail;  it  shall  well  endure; 

Not  alone  ye  toil;  the  work  is  sure. 

Do  they  watch  the  piling,  those  men  of  yore? 

The  Master  watcheth;  it  may  be  more. 

The  Old  South  Church  of  Hallowell! 
Ay,  build  it  strong,  and  build  it  well. 
To  stand  once  more  where  it  stood  so  long, 
For  right  and  truth — a  shame  to  wrong. 
Those  liquid  syllables  cannot  die :  / 
Ivist  to  the  echo  floating  by. 
Sweet  and  clear  like  a  silver  bell. 
The  Old  South  Church  of  Hallowell! 


The  corner-stone  of  the  new  "Old  South"  was  laid  May 
1883;  and  on  October  28,  1885,  a  beautiful  granite  church 


206 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


was  dedicated  as  a  temple  to  the  Lord.  To-day,  instead  of  the 
old  familiar  belfrey,  a  Gothic  spire  arises  upon  our  sight;  and  in 
place  of  the  sweet-toned  old  English  instrument  stands  a  grand 
modern  organ  presented  to  the  church  by  Mrs.  Henry  Sampson, 
of  New  York,  in  memory  of  her  father,  Deacon  Simon  Page. 
But  the  old  Old  South  is  not  forgotten,  nor  has  its  glory 
departed  from  our  gates. 

During  all  these  years,  however,  Hallowell  had  not  been 
without  other  houses  of  worship.  The  Rev.  Jesse  Lee,  the 
pioneer  apostle  of  Methodism  in  New  England,  preached  at 
Hallowell,  October  13,  1793,  and  made  some  converts  to  his 
fold.  The  Methodist  Society  grew  and  flourished,  and,  in 
1825-6,  the  church,  now  standing  on  Middle  Street,  was  erected. 
Among  the  notable  early  ministers  of  this  church  were  the 
Rev.  Mark  Trafton,  of  some  literary  fame;  the  Rev.  D.  B. 
Randall,  a  man  of  power  and  influence  in  his  day;  the  Rev. 
Charles  F.  Allen,  a  scholarly  and  devout  man,  who  lifted  his 
people  to  a  higher  intellectual  and  spiritual  plane  than  they 
had  before  attained;  the  Rev.  Charles  Morse  of  saintly 
memory;  and  the  Rev.  Caleb  Fuller  who  was  no  less  revered  as 
a  pastor  than  beloved  as  a  friend. 

The  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  1807.  Its  most 
famous  early  ministers  were  the  Rev.  D.  Chessman  and  the 
Rev.  S.  Adlam,  under  whose  ministry  the  church  "enjoyed 
revivals  of  marked  power,"  and  a  constantly  increasing  mem- 
bership. The  Baptish  Church,  built  in  1821,  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1868.  The  loss  of  this  venerated  landmark,  and  of  its 
sweet-toned  bell,  was  greatly  deplored  by  the  people  of  Hal- 
lowell. 

The  Universalist  Society  was  founded  May  8,  1842,  and 
the  church  was  built  in  1843.  Its  first  pastor  was  the  Rev.  N. 
Gunnison.  This  church  had  a  large  and  influential  fellowship, 
and  its  choir  was  composed  of  some  of  the  best  musicians  in 
the  town.  Its  history  belongs  chiefly  to  the  last  half  of  the 
century. 

The  Unitarian  Society  first  met  in  the  old  Academy  in 
1823,  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  C.  C.  Everett.  In  1824, 
a  church  was  built;  Mr.  Everett  was  ordained  as  pastor  and 


The  Old  South  Church 


207 


officiated  with  great  acceptance  for  several  years.  A  large 
number  of  wealthy  and  influential  families  united  with  this 
church;  and  it  soon  became  necessary  to  enlarge  the  building 
in  order  to  accommodate  the  congregation.  Mr.  Everett  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Miles,  an  energetic,  philanthropic  man 
of  broad  mind  and  evangelical  spirit.  He  was  followed  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Cole,  the  last  of  the  settled  ministers.  During  the 
closing  years  of  Mr.  Cole's  service,  his  congregation  was  thinned 
by  the  death  or  removal  from  town  of  many  of  his  members; 
and,  a  few  years  later,  the  church  was  finally  closed.  In  1868, 
it  was  sold  to  the  Baptist  Society,  and  remodeled.  In  its 
original  form,  this  old  church  was  quite  unlike  any  other  meet- 
ing-house in  town.  It  was  a  plain  rectangular  edifice,  with  no 
steeple,  and  no  bell,  but  with  a  recessed  portico,  in  the  east 
front,  supported  by  four  large  Doric  columns,  which  gave  the 
church  an  air  of  classic  dignity  and  simple  grandeur.  The 
other  churches  of  Hallowell  were  not  organized  until  a  later 
period.  The  Old  South  remained,  for  many  years,  the  domi- 
nant church,  and  doubtless,  at  times,  it  did  "rule  Hallowell 
with  an  iron  hand."  For  a  long  period  the  other  churches 
struggled  against  the  tide  of  popular  sentiment.  The  Baptists 
were  at  first  looked  upon  with  disfavor;  the  Methodists  were 
regarded  as  "wild-fire";  the  Unitarians,  though  cultured  and 
wealthy,  were  considered  heretical;  the  Universalists  were  out- 
spokenly dangerous,  and  the  certainty  of  their  salvation  was 
seriously  questioned  by  many  people.  But  in  spite  of  all  this,  the 
combined  efforts  of  all  these  denominations  stimulated,  deep- 
ened, and  broadened  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  people, 
and  produced  a  law-abiding.  God-fearing  community.  "In  the 
early  days  of  the  Old  South,"  writes  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Ingraham, 
"there  was  but  one  road  to  heaven.  Afterwards,  a  good  many 
gates  were  put  up  across  it,  for  every  man  would  go  in  at  his 
own  gate;  but  we  trust  that  all  will  find  themselves  coming  out 
on  the  right  road  at  last." 


XIII 


THE  HALLOWELL  ACADEMY 

AND  OTHER  SCHOOLS 

"Many  shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased." 

— Dedicatory  Address,  May  5,  1795. 

N  OLD-TIME  New  England  matron  once  said  to  her 
^%  little  son,  "Child,  if  God  make  thee  a  good  Christian 
^^^V,  and  a  good  scholar,  thou  hast  all  thy  mother  ever 
asked  for  thee."  This  sentence  expresses  the  spirit 
that  prevailed  in  Old  Hallowell  in  the  days  of  its  early  found- 
ers. The  first  thought  of  the  early  settlers  was  for  a  church, 
that  they  might  make  good  Christians  of  their  children;  their 
next  thought  was  for  the  establishment  of  an  institution 
of  learning,  that  they  might  make  good  scholars  of  their  sons 
and  daughters.  Accordingly,  very  soon  after  their  first  meet- 
ing-house was  built  at  the  Fort,  a  movement  was  organized  for 
the  founding  of  a  permanent  school  of  liberal  learning.  On 
August  31,  1 79 1,  an  act  for  the  incorporation  and  endowment 
of  an  Academy  at  Hallowell  Hook  was  signed  by  Governor 
Hancock,  and  passed  by  the  General  Court  of  Massachussetts. 

This  Academy,  in  accordance  with  the  design  of  its 
founders,  was  a  strictly  classical  school;  and  upon  its  board  of 
trustees  were  some  of  the  ablest  and  best  educated  men  of  the  , 
Kennebec  valley.  A  building  was  erected  and  made  ready  for 
occupancy  in  May,  1795,  at  which  time,  a  "splendid  seal"  was 
presented  to  the  institution  by  Charles  Vaughan,  Esq.,  and  a 
dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bradford  of 
Pownalborough . 

Mr.  Woodman  was  the  first  preceptor  of  the  Academy; 
and  the  school  opened  with  well-warranted  expectations  of  suc- 
cess. At  the  end  of  the  first  year,  there  were  about  forty 
students  in  attendance;  and  a  public  exhibition  was  given  to 
demonstrate  to  the  friends  of  the  institution  the  progress  made 


The  Hallowell  Academy 


209 


by  the  pupils.  On  this  occcasion,  as  we  read  in  the  cohimns 
of  the  Tocsin  for  May  10,  1796,  "the  exercises  consisted  of 
several  orations  in  English,  Latin,  and  Greek,  and  of  a 
number  of  pertinent  and  interesting  dialogues,  which  so 
affected  the  audience  that  they  at  times  were  unable  to  re- 
strain their  risibles,  and  again  their  eyes  were  dashed  with 
tears."  The  programme  was  enlivened  by  "vocal  and  instru- 
mental music,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Belcher,  the  Handel 
of  Maine." 

The  number  of  pupils  at  the  Academy  rapidly  increased. 
They  came  not  only  from  Hallowell,  but  from  Augusta, 
Gardiner,  and  other  neighboring  towns.  The  farmers'  sons 
and  the  ambitious  sailor  lads  often  saved  enough  from  their 
scanty  wages  to  pay  their  tuition  for  several  years ;  and  were 
proud  to  be  numbered  among  the  students  of  the  famous  Hal- 
lowell Academy.  The  establishment  of  this  school  added 
materially  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  town,  as  many  desirable 
new  settlers  were  attracted  to  Hallowell  by  its  educational 
advantages ;  and  the  influence  of  the  institution  upon  the  intel- 
lectual life  of  the  people,  at  this  period,  proved  inestimable. 

Mr.  Woodman  was  succeeded,  in  1797,  by  Preceptor 
Samuel  Moody  who  conducted  the  school  most  successfully  for 
eight  years.  Then  followed  a  long  line  of  preceptors,  among 
whom  were  William  Kinne,  Joseph  Lovejoy,  John  Hubbard, 
D.  R.  Goodwin,  James  W.  Bradbury,  James  Withington,  Francis 
Waterhouse,  Charles  B.  Chace,  and  other  able  instructors. 

Among  the  many  notable  men  who  received  their  early 
education  at  the  Hallowell  Academy  were :  Samuel  Merrick, 
Esq.,  owner  of  extensive  machine  manufactories  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  public-spirited 
residents  of  that  city;  Thomas  B.  Merrick,  Esq.,  of  German- 
town,  a  wealthy  merchant  who  devoted  much  of  his  life  to 
scholarly  pursuits ;  the  eminent  clergymen,  J/ohn  A.  Vaughan, 
George  B.  Cheever,  Henry  T.  Cheever,  John  H.  Ingraham, 
and  Dr.  Elias  Bond,  missionary  to  Hawaii;  the  well-known 
authors,  Jacob  and  John  S.  C.  Abbott;  the  Hon.  John  H. 
Sheppard,  Hon.  George  Evans,  Hon.  Ruel  Williams  and  Hon. 
William  H.  Clark;  Chief  Justice  Nathan  Weston;  Charles 


210 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Shaw,  author  of  the  History  of  Boston;  the  Rev.  Henry  V. 
Emmons,  Charles  Dummer,  Esq.,  Hon.  Rufus  K.  Page,  Hon. 
John  O.  Page;  Gorham  D.  Oilman  and  Henry  W.  Severance, 
Consuls-General  from  Hawaii  to  United  States  ports;  Captain 
Charles  A.  Curtiss,  military  instructor  in  Wisconsin  Univer- 
sity ;  Captain  John  H .  Drew,  author  of  sketches  of  ocean  life 
and  foreign  travel;  General  A.  S.  Dearborn,  General  Oliver  O. 
Howard,  Captain  John  Hubbard,  General  Thomas  H.  Hubbard, 
Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson  of  Dartmouth  College;  and 
others  whose  names  are  well  remembered. 

The  names  of  the  teachers  and  pupils  of  the  old  Academy 
recall  many  pleasant  reminiscences.  Among  the  earlier  pre- 
ceptors, Samuel  Moody  taught  for  the  longest  time,  and  his 
personality  and  character  have  been  preserved  by  several  vivid 
bits  of  pen-portraiture.  The  Hon.  John  H.  Sheppard  writes: 
*T  was  seven  years  under  the  care  of  Samuel  Moody,  preceptor 
of  the  Hallowell  Academy,  a  thorough  Dartmouth  scholar  and 
superior  instructor.  I  can  see,  in  the  visions  of  the  past,  his 
tall  majestic  form,  like  an  admiral  on  the  deck  of  his  frigate, 
treading  the  academic  floor,  arrayed  in  smallclothes,  the  cos- 
tume of  his  time,  with  his  bright  blue  eye  watching  over  his 
one  hundred  pupils  at  their  desks.  He  was  severe  at  times, 
but  affectionate,  and  used  the  ferule  as  a  sceptre  of  righteous- 
ness. I  loved  him,  and  was  a  favorite,  for  he  let  me  study  the 
Eclogues  of  Virgil  in  school  hours  under  the  groves  of  the 
Academy.    His  scholars  turned  out  well  in  the  world." 

Mr.  J.  H.  Ingraham,  in  his  Lights  and  Shadows  of  the 
Past,  states  that  ''The  Hallowell  Academy  was  always  under 
the  charge  of  a  learned  man  of  influence  and  character,  and 
usually  he  was  of  great  personal  dignity.  His  title  was  always 
that  of 'Preceptor'.  .  .  .  Old  Preceptor  Moody  was  a  gentle- 
man excellently  well  calculated  to  preside  at  the  head  of  an 
academy  of  the  highest  classical  rank  and  popularity  which  this 
school  then  enjoyed.  He  was  of  large  stature,  inclined  to  cor- 
pulency, with  a  good  deal  of  the  air  of  an  old-school  gentleman. 
He  usually  dressed  in  a  snuff-colored,  broad-skirted  coat,  and 
black  or  buff  short-clothes,  with  silver  buckles,  and  white,  or 
in  wet  weather,  greyish  mixed  long  hose.    He  carried  a  gold- 


The  Hallowell  Academy 


211 


headed  India  cane  with  a  tassel  of  white  leather.  He  wore  his 
hair  in  a  queue,  and  as  he  powdered  of  a  Sunday  and  on  exam- 
ination days,  his  shoulders  were  usually  sprinkled  with  the 
white  dust.  We  stood  in  great  awe  of  this  Preceptor.  He  had 
a  very  stern  voice  and  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian ;  but  in  society 
he  was  amiable  and  courteous.  To  us  lads  he  was  an  object  of 
awe.  He  was  very  partial  to  scanning  Virgil,  and  used  to  drill 
us  until  we  heartily  wished  there  had  never  been  such  a  poet  as 
Maro  born.  He  particularly  loved  to  hear  himself  scan  that 
famous  line  which  describes  the  trotting  of  a  horse,  and  which 
is  supposed  to  represent  the  sound  of  the  quadrupedanting 
steed  over  the  resounding  ground. 

"  *Hush!  Do  you  not  absolutely  hear  the  horse  trotting  in 
that  hne.?'  he  one  day  triumphantly  asked  us,  as  he,  for  our 
example  and  also  for  our  admiration,  sonorously  scanned  the 
line.  At  the  precise  instant  of  his  question  an  old  white  nag 
that  used  to  crop  the  grass  on  our  playground,  suddenly 
trotted  rapidly  past  the  school-room  door  at  .  exactly  the 
measure  at  which  the  Preceptor  had  read  the  line.  We  all 
laughed,  every  imp  of  us,  for  it  was  irresistible.  I  can  see  the 
Preceptor's  smiling  eyes  twinkle  now,  as  he  calmly  waved  his 
hand  after  he  thought  we  had  laughed  quite  as  much  as  was 
necessary,  and  with  a  triumphant  air  looked  around  at  his 
Virgil  class  as  he  said  with  honest  enthusiasm,  *there  you  have 
had  an  illustration,  young  gentlemen,  from  nature;  and  you 
must  allow  that  mine  was  the  most  natural'  " 

William  Kinne,  who  succeeded  Samuel  Moody,  was  an 
able  and  successful  teacher.  He  was  the  reputed  author  of 
Kinne  s  Arithmetic  which  was  in  use  until  1840,  in  the  schools 
of  Maine.  But  it  is  stated  on  unquestionable  authority  ^  that 
the  arithmetic,  which  was  pubhshed  in  Mr.  Kinne's  name,  was 
really  prepared  by  Mr.  William  Allen,  of  Nprridgewock,  who 
was  an  assistant  teacher  at  the  Academy  when  Mr.  Kinne  was 
preceptor. 

The  Hon.  James  W.  Bradbury,  who  resided  in  Augusta 
until  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-seven  years,  was  never  weary 


^  Collections  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Second  Series,  Vol.  II,  p.  382. 


212  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

of  talking  of  the  time  when  he  was  preceptor  of  the  old  Hal- 
lowell Academy,  (1825-6),  and  of  the  cultured  homes  and  the 
charming  women  of  Hallowell.  Mr.  William  H.  Page  has  also 
given  us  some  very  interesting  reminiscences  of  school  life  in 
the  old  Hallowell  Academy.  He  tells  us  of  one  preceptor  who 
studied  law  during  the  school  hours  and  who  was  very  impa- 
tient if  interrupted  in  that  occupation  by  the  slightest  infraction 
of  the  strict  rule  of  silence,  and  who,  if  annoyed  by  any  of  the 
small  boys  in  the  front  seats,  would  send  his  ruler  flying 
against  the  culprit's  head. 

Under  Mr.  Joseph  Lovejoy,  in  1829,  new  methods  were  in- 
troduced, and  a  female  department,  conducted  by  Miss  Sibyl 
Lovejoy,  was  added  to  the  school.  ''Preceptor  Lovejoy," 
writes  Mr.  Page,  "was  a  manly  Christian,  strict  enough  in 
discipline,  but  never  resorting  to  punishment  of  any  kind ;  the 
ferule  was  neither  used  nor  required  to  keep  order  in  the 
school.  He  was  not  at  all  concerned  that  his  dignity  might 
suffer  when  he  occasionally  stood  by  encouraging  the  lads  in 
their  out-door  amusements.  "  Mr.  Lovejoy  even  established  a 
rude  gymnasium  and  instructed  the  lads  in  healthful  exercises. 
He  also  entertained  the  boys  in  his  own  home,  and  gave  lec- 
tures and  talks  to  them  on  electricity  and  other  interesting 
subjects.  By  these  means  he  won  not  only  the  respect,  but  the 
affection  of  his  pupils ;  and  he  is  remembered  as  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  popular  of  the  early  preceptors  of  the  Acad- 
emy. 

Daniel  Raynes  Goodwin,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  Preceptor  of  the 
Hallowell  Academy  from  1832  to  1834,  was  a  man  of  rare 
character  and  of  scholarly  attainments.  He  was  born  in  North 
Berwick,  Maine,  April  12,  181 1,  graduated  from  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege, at  the  head  of  his  class,  in  1832,  and  came  immediately  to 
Hallowell  where,  as  preceptor  of  the  Academy,  he  disclosed 
those  traits  of  mind  and  character  that  marked  his  after  life. 
In  1837,  after  having  spent  two  years  in  travel  and  study  in 
Europe,  he  was  elected  Professor  of  Modern  Languages  to  suc- 
ceed Professor  Longfellow  at  Bowdoin  College.  In  1847,  Pro- 
fessor Goodwin  was  ordained  as  a  priest  in  the  Episcopal 
Church.     He  was  afterward   President  of  Trinity  College, 


The  Hallowell  Academy 


213 


Provost  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and,  in  1864,  Dean 
of  the  Philadelphia  Divinity  School.  He  was  a  profound 
thinker  and  scholarly  writer,  and  was  the  author  of  nearly  one 
hundred  treatises  on  educational,  philosophical,  and  religious 
subjects.  It  was  said  by  the  Rev.  C.  C.  Everett  that  Professor 
Goodwin  possessed  two  distinctions  that  contributed  to  his  suc- 
cess as  a  teacher.  One  was  that  ^^he  taught'''  '*PIis  hour 
was  crammed  full  of  instruction."  The  other  distinction  was 
*'his  habit  of  inviting  the  students  to  his  house  to  tea," — a 
social  innovation  in  those  days,  but  one  of  mutual  advantage  to 
both  professor  and  student.  Professor  Goodwin's  name  is  held 
in  perpetual  remembrance,  at  Bowdoin,  as  the  founder  of  the 
Goodwin  Commencement  prize. 

Another  side  of  Professor  Goodwin's  character  which  gave 
a  brilliant  lustre  to  his  memory  was  **that  mirthfulness  and 
genera]  enjoyment  of  what  was  really  bright  and  clever  in 
literature,  in  persons,  in  social  and  domestic  life,  which  made 
him,  in  his  own  home,  the  center  of  a  group  of  young  people, 
delighting  himself  and  them  with  witty  things  of  all  kinds."  ^ 

Professor  Goodwin  married  in  1838,  Mary  Merrick,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Hannah  Merrick,  and  niece  of  John  Merrick, 
Esq.,  of  Hallowell.  Their  children  now  living  are:  Anna 
Harriet,  wife  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Vaughan  of  Cambridge;  Mary, 
widow  of  the  late  Dr.  William  Canfield  Spencer,  U.  S.  A.;  and 
Harold  Goodwin,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia.  Mrs.  Daniel  Raynes 
Goodwin  was  known  in  her  girlhood  in  Hallowell  as  ^'pretty 
Mary  Merrick."  Her  personal  charms  and  loveliness  of  char- 
acter are  disclosed  in  her  home  life  in  Brunswick,  Hartford, 
and  Philadelphia.  Professor  Smyth  speaks  of  her  engaging 
gifts,"  and  "charming  home"  which  was  **a  perpetual  fountain 
of  knowledge  and  life."  Another  Bowdoin  friend  describes  the 
home  life  of  the  Goodwins  as  "simple,  uncor^Ventional,  orderly, 
refined,  and  Christian."  Of  Dr.  Goodwin  it  has  been  truly 
said  that  "  Christian  faith  was  the  dominating  keynote  of  his 
life."  ^    He  was  a  man  of  strong  piety  in  the  noblest  meaning  of 


^  Memoir  of  Daniel  Raynes  Goodwin^  p.  4 
2  Ibid.  p.  9 


214 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  word.  His  epitaph  may  be  fittingly  written  in  words  of 
his  own  choice: 

'A  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  for  him  a  teacher  of 
Men.'  " 

Preceptor  Withington  was  a  "master"  of  the  old-fashioned 
dominant  type  who,  while  he  held  the  school  in  wholesome 
awe,  was  greatly  respected  by  his  pupils.  He  has  been  de- 
scribed as  "a  tall,  angular  man,  who  walked  the  platform  with 
a  long,  straight  stick,  which  he  called  a  demonstrator,  and 
impressed  his  pupils  like  a  king  with  a  sceptre."  His  faculty 
for  imparting  instruction  was  remarkable.  A  lady  who,  in  her 
youth,  was  under  the  instruction  of  Preceptor  Withington,  re- 
cently said  to  me:  "It  made  no  difference  whether  the  boys 
and  girls  wished  to  learn  or  not — learn  they  must!"  One  of 
the  "over  the  river"  boys  has  left  us  some  pleasant  remi- 
niscences of  his  personal  experience  in  Master  Withington's 
school. 

"I  came,  with  some  other  boys,  from  that  part  of  the 
town  opposite  Loudon  Hill.  At  Sheppard's  wharf,  we  joined 
the  scholars  from  the  H^ill,  each  with  a  green  satchel  for  his 
books.  It  was  a  busy  thoroughfare  for  us  filled  with  great 
things, — the  road  that  took  us  to  the  Academy.  The  school- 
room was  so  different  from  ours  over  the  river;  nice  benches 
and  seats,  large  windows,  a  clean,  cheerful,  airy  place.  .  .  . 
Mr.  Withington's  hobby  was  chemistry  and  he  was  second  to 
none  in  the  state  in  that  branch  of  study.  .  .  .  But  with 
all  his  passion  for  his  studies,  and  all  of  his  labors  in  the  labora- 
tory he  always  found  time  for  a  little  music.  Like  many  a 
young  man  he  had  learned  to  play  upon  the  flute.  When  he 
found  scholars  enough  for  a  choir,  he  introduced  singing  into 
the  school.  He  sang  bass  himself  and  we  could  always  carry 
three  parts.  He  was  very  proud  of  this.  But  I  think  he 
liked  the  blackboard  better  than  music.  If  he  could  only  get 
us  all  deep  into  algebra,  he  was  delighted.  How  our  brains 
cracked  and  heads  ached  with  the  problems  he  gave  us  to 
solve.  .  .  .  He  was  fitting  a  class  for  college,  and  as  we 
were  all  in  one  room,  what  he  said  to  one  class  was,  of 
course,  listened  to  by  the  whole  school.    ...    It  always 


The  Hallowell  Academy 


215 


seemed  to  me  that  those  that  did  not  study  languages  and 
chemistry  were  as  deep  in  them  as  those  who  did.  I  learned 
French,  almost  as  fast  from  hearing  his  class  as  though  I  had 
been  in  it.  Je  noub Herat  jamais.'' 

Two  other  pupils,  Miss  Helen  Freeman  and  Miss  Jennie 
W.  Paine,  acquired  the  rudiments  of  Greek  by  hearing  Mr. 
Withington's  class  recite.  When  the  Preceptor  discovered 
this  fact,  he  invited  these  two  young  ladies  to  enter  the  class 
with  the  young  men  who  were  taking  their  college  preparatory 
courses.  This  caused  some  disaffection,  as  girls  had  never 
before  been  permitted  to  study  Greek  at  the  Academy.  Both 
of  these  young  ladies  made  a  record  for  brilliant  and  thorough 
scholarship.  Miss  P'reeman  is  still  a  highly-esteemed  teacher  in 
Burlington,  New  Jersey,  where  she  has  fitted  many  boys  for 
their  college  examinations  in  Greek. 

The  strong  personality  and  successful  methods  of  "Master 
Withington"  made  a  deep  and  lasting  impression  on  the  com- 
munity, and  under  his  instruction  the  school  attained  a  wide 
reputation.  In  1853,  Mr.  Withington  was  called  to  German- 
town,  Pennsylvania,  as  Principal  of  its  classical  academy  which 
he  made  famous,  during  his  long  service  there,  by  the  scholarly 
and  well-trained  students  whom  he  sent  forth  to  the  great 
universities  of  the  country.  Mr.  Withington  married  Alfreda 
Bosworth.  He  died  at  Amboy,  New  Jersey,  in  1877,  leaving 
one  son,  Augustus  H.,  and  one  daughter,  Alfreda  B.  Withing- 
ton, M.  D.,  of  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Francis  Ashbury  Waterhouse  is  remembered  as  one  of 
the  most  successful  and  highly-esteemed  preceptors  of  the 
Hallowell  Academy.  He  was  a  man  whose  personal  influence 
was  a  potent  factor  in  stimulating  a  love  of  study,  and  whose 
method  of  instruction  brought  his  classes  to  a  high  degree  of 
excellence.  Mr.  Waterhouse  fitted  for  college  in  the  Hallowell 
Academy  under  Mr.  Withington.  He  graduated  from  Bowdoin 
in  1857,  and  taught  a  while  in  the  South  before  beginning  his 
work  in  his  home  town.  His  ability  as  an  instructor  was  soon 
recognized  abroad,  and  more  influential  and  lucrative  positions 
soon  lured  him  away  from  Hallowell.  He  taught  most  success- 
fully the  High  Schools  of  Augusta  and  West  Newton;  and,  in 


2l6 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


1880,  was  elected  head  master  of  the  English  High  School  in 
Boston,  where,  as  a  contemporary  writer  states,  "he  lent  a  hand 
in  teaching  some  thousands  of  Bostonese  ideas  how  to  shoot," 
and  established  an  enviable  reputation  as  one  of  the  foremost 
educators  of  the  day.  The  following  tribute  to  Mr.  Waterhouse 
is  taken  from  the  Boston  News:  ''Few,  if  any,  men  are  better 
known  to  the  rising  urban  generation  than  Master  Francis 
Ashbury  Waterhouse  of  the  English  High  School.  .  .  . 
Master  Waterhouse  is  a  famiUar  figure  upon  the  streets.  He 
is  tall  and  keen-eyed,  and  has  gray  hair  and  a  luxuriant  gray 
beard.  .  .  .  He  is  immensely  popular  with  the  boys  of  the 
'English  High.'  ...  As  a  teacher  he  is  very  successful, 
inspiring  his  classes  with  much  of  his  own  enthusiasm.  He 
has  great  capacity  for  work,  and  is  thoroughly  in  love  with  his 
noble  profession."  Mr.  Waterhouse  died  in  Paris  while  at  the 
height  of  his  successful  career,  leaving  one  son  to  bear  his 
honored  name. 

The  first  building  used  as  an  academy  was  burned  in  1804. 
The  second  building  was  a  two-story  wooden  edifice,  painted 
white,  the  "chief  glory"  of  which  was  a  bell-tower  with  a  Paul 
Revere  bell.  This  building  also  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  1839. 
The  brick  building  now  standing  was  erected  in  1841,  and 
remodelled  in  1890.  It  was  originally  a  rectangular  edifice,  of  a 
simple  yet  dignified  style  of  architecture,  with  a  classic  portico 
supported  by  tall  Doric  columns. 

It  is  to  this  classic  old  Academy,  as  it  stood  before  its 
remodeling  in  1890,  that  the  hearts  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  my 
own  generation  went  out  in  love  and  grateful  reverence ;  and  it 
may  safely  be  said  that  there  was  never  a  better  school  of  its 
class  than  that  taught  at  the  Hallowell  Academy,  in  the  "fam- 
ous sixties,"  when  Mr.  Charles  B.  Chace  was  preceptor.  This 
institution  was  then  doing  a  splendid  and  enduring  work  in  the 
mental  and  moral  culture  of  its  pupils.  Mr.  Chace  was  a  man 
far  in  advance  of  his  times,  and  eminently  fitted  for  the  head  of 
such  a  school.  His  methods  were  based  entirely  on  the  prin- 
ciples of  self-government  and  mutual  improvement;  and  the 
ideals  of  true  manhood  and  womanhood  were  daily  inculcated. 
Every  branch  of  learning  was  made  perfectly  plain  and  prac- 


The  Hallow  ell  Academy 


217 


tical,  from  "bookkeeping  by  double  entry"  to  the  calculating  of 
eclipses.  Each  boy  and  girl  honestly  aspired  to  the  best  work 
possible;  but  woe  to  him  or  her  who  pretended  to  know  any- 
thing that  he  or  she  did  not  know!  There  was  some  intangible 
element  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  school  that  tolerated  no  false 
pretensions.  The  principle  of  living  and  working  "upon 
honor"  was  unconsciously  absorbed  by  the  pupil  from  the  very 
personality  of  the  teacher.  To  have  been  under  the  instruction 
and  influence  of  such  a  man  proved  a  life-long  inspiration  to  his 
pupils. 

During  the  preceptorship  of  Mr.  Charles  B.  Chace  the 
school  attained  a  degree  of  mental  and  moral  culture  unexcelled 
in  the  long  and  honorable  history  of  the  institution;  and  under 
his  methods,  which  were  most  unusual  in  his  day,  the  Hallowell 
Academy  reached  the  climax  of  its  power  and  usefulness. 
There  are  not  a  few  grown-up  boys  and  girls  in  the  world  to-day 
— and  their  faces  stand  out  plainly  before  me  as  I  write — who 
gratefully  acknowledge  themselves  wiser  and  better  for  their 
school  life  with  Mr.  Chace  in  the  old  Hallowell  Academy.  To 
these  friends  of  my  youth,  I  here  inscribe  the  lines : 

AVE  ET  VALE 

Shrined  in  our  hearts,  forever  fair,  there  stands 

A  pillared  temple  rising  to  the  sun  ; 
Not  grander  were  the  courts  of  Eastern  lands  ; 

Not  prouder  was  the  peerless  Parthenon. 

Here  open  vistas  led  through  all  the  earth ; 

Here  Knowledge  sat  enthroned  with  starry  crown  ; 
Here  all  the  glorious  dreams  of  youth  had  birth ; 

Here  let  the  heavens  their  solemn  secrets  down. 

O  happy  temple  on  the  sloping  hill. 

We  hear  afar  thy  softly  ringing  bell,  ^ 
And  send,  in  answer,  words  that  throb  and  thrill, — 

Ave  et  vale!    Greeting  and  farewell ! 

Farewell !  unto  the  old  familiar  gates, 

The  stately  columns  and  the  halls  of  yore  ; 

Hail !  to  the  newly  risen  fane  that  waits 

With  all  the  future  beckoning  at  the  door. 


2l8 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Hail !  to  the  tread  of  countless  eager  feet 

That  come  and  go  the  symphony  to  swell  ; 

Hail  and  farewell  !  unto  the  phantoms  sweet, 
That  haunt  thy  shades,  beloved  Hallowell  ! 

Fair  olden  city  on  the  river's  shore, 

Thou,  through  a  measured  century,  hast  kept 

The  grand  inheritance  our  fathers  bore, 

When  to  thy  wilds  across  the  seas  they  swept. 

And  prized  with  liberty  of  life  and  faith, 

Thy  honored  schools  their  proud  traditions  tell ; 

Ivong  mayst  thou  hear  the  echoing  strain  that  saith: 
Ave  et  vale!    Greeting  and  farewell ! 

The  mission  of  the  old  Hallowell  Academy,  during  its 
flourishing  existence  of  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  century, 
was  nobly  and  fully  accomplished.  It  did  not,  however,  cover 
the  whole  field  of  education  in  Hallowell,  but  was  supplemented 
by  private  and  public  schools  for  children,  by  the  Vaughan 
Female  Academy,  and  by  the  High  School  which,  however,  was 
not  established  until  1840. 

One  of  the  earliest  educational  institutions  of  the  town  was 
a  typical  "dame  school,"  taught  by  Madame  Bills,  familiarly 
known  in  her  later  years  as  "Granny  Bills."  The  school  of 
Madame  Bills  was  kept  in  her  own  little  cottage  located  beneath 
a  great  v/illow-tree  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec.  Madame 
Bills  had  all  the  latest  and  most  improved  methods  of  instruc- 
tion of  her  time.  She  taught  her  children  their  daily  lessons 
from  one  of  the  famous  old  hornbooks  then  in  use,  as  they 
were  in  Shakespeare's  day.  The  hornbook  was  a  wooden 
frame  holding  a  single  page  on  which  was  printed  the  alphabet, 
the  numerals,  and  usually  the  Lord's  Prayer.  This  page  was 
covered  with  a  sheet  of  transparent  horn,  to  preserve  the  text 
while  the  children  learned  their  lessons.  Hornbooks  were 
also,  sometimes,  by  some  anomaly,  made  of  gingerbread. 
Matthew  Prior,  in  his  Alma,  speaks  of  the  gingerbread  hornbook 
which  is  given  by  the  "English  Maid"  to  "Master  John;" — 

"And  that  the  child  may  learn  the  better, 
As  he  can  name,  he  eats  the  letter.  " 


Madame  Remington  s  School 


219 


I  cannot  say  that  Madame  Bills  ever  sweetened  the  path 
of  learning  for  her  pupils  by  giving  them  hornbooks  of  ginger- 
bread, but  I  have  been  assured,  by  one  who  knew  from  good 
authority,  that  she  never  ''used  the  twig."  The  fool's  cap  was 
considered  supreme  punishment  in  the  school  of  Madame  Bills. 
This  notable  founder  of  the  "dame  schools"  of  Hallowell  lived 
to  be  over  ninety-six  years  of  age.  In  her  later  years  Granny 
Bills  was  very  poor,  and  her  old  house  down  in  "Joppa, "  be- 
came so  dilapidated  that  it  was  in  danger  of  falling  upon  her 
head.  So  her  kind  neighbors  built  a  little  new  house  for  her  in 
the  locality  where  the  old  one  had  stood.  In  this  new  abode 
Granny  Bills  placed  her  bedstead,  her  Queen  Anne  chest  of 
drawers,  her  broom,  and  her  light-stand  with  her  big  Bible  up- 
on it;  and  here,  with  the  simple  necessities  of  life,  provided  by 
the  good  people  of  Hallowell,  Granny  Bills  lived  in  peace  and 
happiness  the  remainder  of  her  days. 

Another  and  far  more  ambitious  establishment  was  the 
''Boarding  and  Day  School"  of  Madame  Remington  which  was 
established  in  1810.  No  better  description  of  this  school  at  its 
most  flourishing  period,  can  be  given  than  in  Madame 
Remington's  own  announcement  in  the  American  Advocate. 

Mrs.  REMINGTON  respectfully  informs  the  inhabitants 
of  Hallowell,  and  the  public  in  general,  that  she  has  taken  a 
pleasant  and  commodious  house  at  the  corner  of  Winthrop  and 
2d  Streets,  at  which  place  she  will  on  Monday  the  21st  instant, 
open  an  ACADEMY  for  the  instruction  of  young  ladies — 
where  will  be  taught  the  following  branches,  viz:  Reading, 
Writing,  English  Grammar,  Arithmetic,  Composition,  Geogra- 
phy, the  use  of  the  Globes  and  Maps,  and  the  elements  of 

History.  Also  Drawing,  Painting,  Emb^roidery,  Filigree; 

with  every  kind  of  useful  and  ornamenl(al  Needle-work. 
TERMS:  Board  per  Quarter  $^7.  Tuition  pr.  do.  from  ^4 
to  $10. 

Mrs.  REMINGTON  assures  those  parents  who  may 
entrust  their  children  to  her  care,  that  every  attention  shall  be 
paid  to  their  morals,  manners  and  improvement. 


220 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


N.  B.  Music  and  Dancing  Masters,  are  engaged, 
should  a  sufficient  number  of  pupils  offer. 

After  four  successful  years,  Mrs.  Remington  was  succeeded 
by  Mrs.  Boardman  who  opened  a  Boarding  and  Day  School 
"for  the  instruction  of  Young  Ladies  in  the  Useful  and  Orna- 
mental Branches  of  education."  She  adds,  to  the  curriculum 
of  her  predecessor,  'Tainting  on  Velvet,"  $9.00;  and  music  on 
Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons. 

Mrs.  Boardman  was  a  woman  of  pleasing  personality  who 
was  always  gowned  in  white  and  who  **had  two  clean  dresses 
every  week."  Her  art  classes  were  especially  popular.  "Paint- 
ing on  velvet"  was  an  expensive  accomplishment,  but  water 
colors  were  within  the  means  of  all  the  pupils.  Flower  paint- 
ing was  a  specialty;  and  Mrs.  Boardman  was,  doubtless,  the 
originator  of  that  long  line  of  perpetual,  ever-blooming,  never- 
fading,  pink-and-green  moss-rosebuds  which  are  still  preserved 
in  their  pristine  freshness  in  many  of  the  old  houses  in 
Hallowell. 

The  pupils  in  Mrs.  Boardman 's  school,  not  at  all  behind 
the  progressive  young  people  of  to-day,  organized  an  art  club, 
which  is  delightfully  described  by  Miss  Sallucia  Abbott: 

"There  were  a  dozen  or  more  of  us  who  all  attended  Mrs. 
Boardman's  school  for  Young  Misses,  so  that  we  were  all 
friends  and  schoolmates  together.  There  were  Mary  and 
Lucia,  Louisa  and  Julia,  Lucy  and  Caroline,  Mary  Jane, 
Emeline  and  myself,  and  perhaps  some  others  that  I  do  not  now 
recollect.  The  little  girl,  at  whose  house  we  met,  generally  had 
the  use  of  her  mother's  parlor  for  the  occasion.  We  had  no 
officers,  and  no  form  about  our  association.  We  sat  around  the 
table  in  the  seats  we  chanced  to  take  when  we  came  in,  and 
talked  together  pleasantly  while  we  worked.  Mary  and  Lucia 
were  a  little  older  than  the  rest  of  us,  and  were  better  acquaint- 
ed with  the  art;  and  we  naturally  went  to  them  for  assistance  in 
all  difficult  parts;  so  that  they  were  in  reality  our  teachers;  and 
the  benefit  that  we  derived  from  these  meetings  was  in  a  great 
measure  derived  from  them.    Thus  we  spent  two  hours  in 


Miss  Polly  Salisbury s  School 


221 


drawing  and  painting  landscapes  and  flowers,  and  all  sorts  of 
things,  chatting  together,  admiring  each  other's  work,  and  ask- 
ing each  other's  advice,  and  having,  as  the  children  say,  an 
'excellent  time,' — [forgive  us,  dear  Aunt  Sallucia,  but  did  they 
really  say  an  "excellent"  time?] — and  at  four  o'clock  the  port- 
folios were  refilled,  and  we  all  resorted  to  the  yards  and  gardens 
for  a  run  among  the  flowers.  At  five  o'clock  we  were  all 
wending  our  way  home  to  take  tea  with  our  parents." 

This  story,  in  The  Alcove,  is  of  especial  interest  because  we 
know  that  the  nice  little  girls  therein  mentioned  were  real  little 
girls  who  truly  lived  in  Hallowell,  and  had  the  painting  parties 
at  their  very  own  houses.  We  know  too  what  their  real  names 
were,  for  have  not  our  mothers  told  us  t — that  is,  all  but  that  of 
"Mary  Jane."  "Mary"  was  Mary  Perley,  daughter  of  Squire 
Perley,  and  afterwards,  Mrs.  William  Lane;  "Lucia"  was  Lucia 
Brown;  "Louisa"  was  Louisa  Perley,  afterwards  Mrs.  John 
Dumont;  "Julia"  was  Julia  Page,  daughter  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
Page;  "Lucy"  was  Lucy  Dummer,  who  married  Samuel  K. 
Kilman;  "Emeline"  was  Emeline  Page,  daughter  of  John  O. 
Page,  who  married  Wilmot  Wood  of  Wiscasset;  "myself,"  who, 
in  the  words  of  the  writer,  ends  the  list,  was  "Aunt  Sallucia 
Abbott."    But— who  was  "Mary  Jane.?" 

Another  notable  dame  school  was  that  taught  by  Miss 
Polly  Salisbury.  Miss  Polly  reigned  about  the  year  of  Our  Lord 
1835.  Under  her  regime  several  innovations  were  introduced 
into  the  dame  school.  Miss  Polly  believed  in  co-education,  and 
took  boys  as  well  as  girls  for  pupils.  She  was  a  strict  dis- 
ciplinarian and  some  of  her  punishments  were  original  and 
very  efficacious.  In  addition  to  the  fool's  cap  and  the  dunce's 
stool,  Miss  Polly  had  what  she  called  the  "tattle-rag."  This 
was  a  rectangular  piece  of  cloth,  made  of  stripes  of  different 
colors,  which  was  pinned  to  the  back  of  those  ^hildren  who  told 
tales  of  their  fellow  pupils.  / 

Miss  Polly  is  remembered  as  a  sweet  and  cheery  little 
woman,  very  bright  and  quick  at  repartee.  Her  career  as  a 
teacher  terminated  with  her  marriage  to  Samuel  Page,  Esq.,  of 
Wiscasset,  in  1840.  After  Miss  Polly's  day,  numerous  other 
juvenile  schools  flourished.    One  of  the  most  notable  was  that 


222 


Old  Hallowell  07i  the  Kennebec 


of  Miss  Bergen  who  is  said  to  have  been  "a  hving  illustration 
of  manners." 

The  private  school  for  young  ladies  in  Hallowell  reached 
the  height  of  its  development  and  usefulness  in  the  "Female 
Academy"  founded  by  the  Rev.  John  Apthorp  Vaughan.  This 
model  school  for  girls  was  an  institution  far  in  advance  of  its 
time.  It  was  conducted  by  a  man  of  liberal  education,  inher- 
ited culture,  and  most  impressive  character;  and  it  speedily 
acquired  a  wide  reputation.  The  school  was  located  on  Central 
Street  in  a  new  edifice  described,  in  a  contemporary  journal,  as 
*'a  spacious,  convenient  building  of  truly  classic  architecture," 
and  was  furnished  with  all  the  best  educational  appliances  of 
the  day. 

Mr.  Vaughan  was  assisted  in  the  school  by  Miss  Mary 
Merrick,  who  taught  the  younger  children,  and  who  was  greatly 
beloved  and  admired  by  all  the  students.  Miss  Merrick,  as  we 
are  told  by  an  old  lady  who  had  been  a  member  of  the  school, 
was  accustomed,  on  summer  afternoons,  to  return  to  her 
classes,  in  fresh  and  dainty  attire,  with  ribbons  and  slippers  of 
a  color  that  matched  her  gown.  This  artistic  touch  in  Miss 
Merrick's  costume  made  a  great  impression  on  the  minds  of  her 
adoring  pupils. 

The  Vaughan  School  was  patronized  by  the  best  families 
of  Hallowell,  and  many  young  ladies  came  from  other  towns  to 
enjoy  the  educational  advantages  here  afforded.  A  few  of 
these  pupils  were  received  into  the  Vaughan  household  where 
much  attention  was  paid  to  their  physical,  mental,  and  moral 
development. 

Four,  at  least,  of  the  students  of  the  old  Vaughan 
Academy  are  now  living.  They  are  Mrs.  Caroline  F.  Dole  of 
Norridgewock,  Mrs.  Emeline  L.  Percival  of  Cambridge,  Miss 
EHzabeth  Clark  of  Waltham,  and  Mrs.  De  La  Croix  of  Oxford, 
North  Carolina;  and  in  letters  recently  written,  they  all 
testify  to  the  superior  methods  of  instruction,  and  to  the  re- 
fining and  elevating  influences  of  this  famous  and  long-remem- 
bered school. 


The   Vaughan  Female  Academy 


223 


From  those  letters,  I  have  been  able  to  learn  the  names  of 
a  number  of  the  pupils  who  attended  Mr.  Vaughan's  Academy 
in  1 83 1  and  1832.  They  were:  Caroline  Fletcher  (Mrs. 
Nathan  Dole),  Susan  F.  Preston  (Mrs.  M.  Clapp),  and 
Sarah  Selden  (Mrs.  McCobb),  from  Norridgewock;  Isabella 
Williams  (Mrs.  Frederic  Freeman),  Elizabeth  Williams  (Mrs. 
Judge  Redington),  Lucy  Williams  (Mrs.  William  Woart), 
Elizabeth  T.  Tappan  (Mrs.  Edwin  B.  Webb),  Caroline  Potter 
(Mrs.  Stephen  Deering),  Augusta  Vose  (Mrs.  Jacob  W.  Mc. 
Maine),  Ellen  Emmons,  and  Jane  Tappan,  from  Augusta; 
Ellen  Evans  (Mrs.  Lally)  from  Gardiner;  Sarah  Sherman 
and  Rebecca  Ford  from  Newcastle.  The  list  of  Hallowell 
pupils,  which  is  very  incomplete,  gives  the  names  of  Charlotte 
Sewall(Mrs.  Eastman),  Joanna  Sewall(Mrs.  Lemont),  Charlotte 
Wales  (Mrs.  Frederick  Allen),  Caroline  Gardiner  (Mrs.  Hatha- 
way), Mary  Wingate  (Mrs.  William  Nason),  Sarah  W.  Wales, 
Emeline  Davis,  (Mrs.  Warren  Percival),  Eliza  Pollard,  Ellen 
Ladd,  Annie  Dole  (Mrs.  Titcomb),  of  Alemada,  California; 
Isadore  Allen  and  sister,  Hannah,  Anna,  and  Mary  Dole, 
— the  latter,  Mrs.  De  La  Croix,  of  Oxford,  North  Carolina. 

In  his  system  of  teaching,  Mr.  Vaughan  was  original  and 
most  successful.  Globes  and  maps  were  used,  and  object 
lessons  made  the  studies  easy  and  interesting  for  the  younger 
pupils.  Much  attention  was  given  to  history  and  literature, 
and  the  subjects  were  presented  in  a  broad  way  and  not  in  the 
mere  text-book  style.  There  was  also  a  good  deal  of  written 
work,  and  spelling  and  dictation  exercises  were  frequent.  In 
later  years,  when  modern  methods  and  new  ideas  in  teaching 
were  mentioned,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Allen  would  often  say,  ''We 
used  to  do  that  at  Mr.  Vaughan's  school." 

Mrs.  De  La  Croix,  now  an  old  lady  over  eighty  years  of 
age,  vividly  recalls  her  childish  impressions  of  this  old  school 
and  the  instances  of  moral  suasion  by  whicH  the  pupils  were 
governed.  ''There  was  never  a  punishment,"  she  writes. 
"There  were  two  sessions,  and  all  stood  up  by  their  desks  the 
last  thing  at  night.  Those  who  had  not  made  any  communi- 
cations could  sit  down.  He  (Mr.  Vaughan)  looked  at  each  one 
as  they  stood,  more  or  less  saddened,  and  his  face  expressed  his 


224 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Ken7iebec 


feelings ;  and  every  one  of  us  regretted  our  failings  and  men- 
tally decided  to  be  more  careful  not  to  grieve  him.  .  .  Mr. 
Vaughan  had  two  minutes  recess  every  half  hour.  A  clock 
stood  in  plain  sight  and  we  all  knew  that  when  the  little  bell 
rang  we  could  leave  our  seats  and  talk  and  exchange  books. 
Communications  were  unnecessary. " 

Mrs.  Caroline  Fletcher  Dole,  one  of  the  older  scholars  in 
the  school,  boarded  in  Mr.  Vaughan's  family,  and  thus  had  an 
opportunity  to  acquire  a  discerning  and  appreciative  insight  in- 
to the  character  of  her  teacher.  She  still  speaks  vv^ith  the 
warmest  affection  of  Mr.  Vaughan,  who  was  beloved  and  re- 
vered by  all  of  his  pupils,  and  especially  of  the  moral  influence 
of  the  school.  ''Dr.  Vaughan, "  writes  Mrs.  Dole,"  "had  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  his  scholars  very  much  at  heart  and  sought 
to  influence  them  to  lead  a  religious  life.  He  had  daily  prayers 
in  the  home,  and  a  short  devotional  exercise  every  morning  in 
opening  the  school  for  the  day."  On  the  last  day  of  the  clos- 
ing term  of  the  school,  the  morning  reading,  by  a  chance  and 
touching  coincidence,  was  the  20th  chapter  of  Acts,  in  which 
Paul  makes  a  parting  address  to  the  elders  of  the  church.  The 
students  were  deeply  impressed  and  much  affected  by  the 
closing  verse:  ''Sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he 
spake,  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more." 

In  December,  1832,  Mr.  Vaughan,  much  to  the  regret  of 
pupils,  parents,  and  the  whole  community  at  Hallowell,  closed 
his  school,  after  its  short  but  potent  existence  of  two  years.  He 
soon  afterwards  became  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Mediator  in 
Philadelphia.  Twenty-two  years  later,  on  August  11,  1854,  the 
pupils  of  the  Hallowell  Female  Academy  held  a  reunion  at 
Hallowell  and  tendered  a  reception  to  Mr.  Vaughan.  A 
felicitous  address  was  made  on  this  occasion  by  the  Rev. 
Daniel  R.  Goodwin;  and  a  silver  goblet  was  presented  to  the 
Rev.  John  A.  Vaughan,  D.  D.,  by  the  pupils  of  the  Hallowell 
Female  Academy,  "as  a  tribute  of  regard  for  their  former 
teacher." 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  the  newly  organized  town  govern- 
ment of  Hallowell,  in  the  year  1797,  was  the  appropriation  of 


The  First  Town  School 


225 


five  hundred  dollars  for  ^'schooling."  The  fathers  had  evidently 
not  forgotten  the  injunction  laid  upon  them  by  the  Rev.  William 
Hazlitt,  in  his  Thanksgiving  sermon:  "You  should  teach  your 
children  to  read  before  you  teach  them  to  work!"  and,  although 
the  Academy  was  well  established  at  this  time,  the  town  did 
not  neglect  to  provide  for  its  public  schools. 

The  first  town  school  of  which  we  have  record  was  kept  in 
an  old  one-story  building  on  Clark's  lane,  opposite  Deacon 
Gow's  house.  A  better  and  more  commodious  house  was  soon 
secured  on  Second  Street,  opposite  the  meeting-house.  This 
building  was  known  for  many  years  as  the  Old  South  school- 
house. 

One  of  the  old  residents  of  Hallowell,  under  the  name  of 
"Senex,"  writes:  'Tt  was  an  eventful  day  when  we  changed 
the  old  for  the  new  school-house.  Headed  by  the  master,  we 
formed  two  by  two  in  solemn  cavalcade,  with  our  books  under 
our  arms  to  take  possession  of  the  new  seminary.  We  had  not 
much  to  carry,  it  is  true.  Our  reading  books  then  consisted, 
according  to  advancement  in  the  class,  of  three  volumes,  to  wit, 
The  New  England  Primer,  Webster's  Spelling  Book,  and  the 
New  Testament.  Probably  you  hardly  know  now  in  your 
primary  schools  what  the  New  England  Primer  means.  We 
knew  it  well,  and  it  was  the  business  of  Master  Haskell  to  see 
that  on  Saturday  afternoon  we  said  our  Catechism.  Old  Parson 
Gillet  also  examined  the  pupils  in  his  frequent  visits  to  the 
school  and  heard  them  recite: 

Tn  Adam's  fall 
We  sinned  all.' 

"Uncle  John  Sewall  taught  after  Master  Haskell.  He  was 
not  a  very  learned  man.  He  taught  the  thrqe  R's — Readin', 
Ritin',  and  'Rithmetic — pretty  well,  and  suff^ered  the  reading 
of  Morse's  Geography.    But  he  was  a  stranger  to  Grammar." 

A  much  more  learned  man  than  "Uncle  John,"  was  Master 
Samuel  Locke.  He  has  been  characterized  as  an  "old-fashioned 
iron  schoolmaster,"  who  was  "celebrated  for  breaking  in  incor- 
rigibles;"  and  yet  it  is  said  that  he  was  "neither  cruel  nor 


226 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


unjust  in  the  treatment  of  his  scholars."  Master  Locke  was  a 
fine  mathematician  and  an  excellent  teacher  of  navigation. 
Many  of  the  Hallowell  boys  who  became  famous  sea-captains 
received  their  elementary  instruction  in  Master  Locke's  classes. 
This  old-time  pedagogue  was  undoubtedly  a  man  of  high 
attainments  and,  as  a  citizen,  he  was  much  respected. 

Prior  to  1840,  there  were  only  two  public  schools  in 
Hallowell,  one  in  the  Old  South  school-house,  and  the  other 
in  the  brick  school-house  on  Middle  Street.  Master  Locke 
taught  in  the  brick  school-house,  and  the  other  school  was  for 
the  children.  As  the  Hallowell  Academy  and  other  private 
schools  were  patronized  by  many  of  the  families  in  the  town, 
the  necessity  of  advanced  public  schools  was  not  fully  recog- 
nized until  about  1 840,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  grade  and 
improve  the  town  schools.  In  this  year  the  inhabitants, 
assembled  in  a  "district  meeting,"  voted  to  increase  the  school 
appropriation  to  $3000;  and  to  erect  a  new  double  brick  build- 
ing in  the  place  of  the  old  one,  at  a  cost  af  ;^I200.  The  meas- 
ures at  this  time  provided  for  a  High  school,  a  Grammar  school, 
and  the  necessary  primaries. 

Mr.  Baker  states  that  many  excellent  instructors  have  been 
employed  in  the  Hallowell  schools.  In  the  girl's  Grammar 
school,  Sarah  R.  Parke  "carried  away  the  palm  as  an  instructress 
who  could  not  be  excelled."  Other  successful  teachers  who 
were  beloved  by  many  successive  classes  of  pupils  were  Caroline 
Yeaton,  Caroline  A.  Perley,  Elizabeth  D.  Pillsbury,  Caroline  A. 
Page  (Mrs.  Freeman),  Ruth  H.  Nickerson  (Mrs.  Plaisted), 
Fannie  L.  Nye,  and  S.  Louisa  Gilman.  "In  the  boy's  Grammar 
school,"  writes  Mr.  Baker,  "D.  H.  Goodno  was  a  superior 
teacher  and  disciplinarian.  Albert  Thomas  was  very  successful ; 
and  J.  B.  Brackett  incited  his  pupils  to  very  faithful  and  profit- 
able study."  The  three  most  noteworthy  instructors  in  the 
High  School  were,  without  question,  Mr.  Jonas  Burnham,  Mr. 
W.  H.  Seavey,  and  Mr.  Alfred  E.  Buck. 

Mr.  Jonas  Burnham  was  ably  equipped  for  his  work  and 
entered  upon  the  task  of  organizing  and  maintaining  the  new 
High  school,  with  great  enthusiasm.  His  efforts  were  crowned 
with  great  success;  and  at  the  annual  examinations  of  the 


The  Hallowell  High  School 


227 


school,  some  of  his  pupils  showed  remarkable  proficiency  in 
their  studies.  When  it  was  announced  to  the  public  that  Mr. 
Burnham  had  resigned  his  position  as  teacher  of  the  Hallowell 
High  School  to  go  to  another  field  of  labor,  there  was  a  very 
general  and  sincere  expression  of  regret  from  the  pupils 
and  friends  of  the  school.  The  "big  boys"  were  openly  rebel- 
lious; and  with  that  perverted  sense  of  justice,  often  observed 
at  such  times,  they  vowed  to  "make  things  lively"  for  the  next 
teacher.  Very  fortunately  for  the  school  and  for  Hallowell,  the 
next  teacher  was  Mr.  W.  N.  Seavey.  For  the  first  few  days  after 
his  arrival,  the  boys  spared  no  effort  to  make  matters  uncom- 
fortable for  Mr.  Seavey;  but  gradually,  imperceptibly,  nobody 
exactly  knew  how,  the  atmosphere  cleared,  and  before  the  first 
week  of  the  term  had  ended,  every  boy  and  girl  was  the  loyal 
supporter  of  the  new  master.  Mr.  Seavey's  success  and  popu- 
larity were  at  once  established,  and  were  maintained  until  his 
resignation.  He  afterwards  attained  celebrity  in  the  schools 
of  Boston. 

A  third  teacher  whose  name  and  fame  are  a  lasting  honor 
to  the  records  of  the  Hallowell  High  School  was  Mr.  Alfred  E. 
Buck.  As  a  young  man,  and  soon  after  his  graduation  from 
Waterville  College,  Mr.  Buck  came  to  Hallowell,  and  by  his 
force  and  sincerity  of  character,  and  his  thorough  scholarship, 
he  won  the  respect  and  devoted  allegiance  of  his  pupils.  His 
term  of  service  as  a  teacher  in  the  Hallowell  High  School  was 
remarkable  for  its  success;  and  the  friendship  formed  between 
Mr.  Buck  and  his  pupils  was  loyal  and  enduring. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Buck  entered  the 
Union  army  as  Captain  of  Company  C,  Thirtieth  Maine 
Volunteers.  Promoted  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel,  he 
led  his  command  in  the  assault  upon  Fort  Blakely,  Alabama, 
and  was  brevetted  Colonel  for  his  gallant  Conduct  at  the 
capture  of  that  fortress.  At  the  close  of  tlie  war,  Colonel 
Buck  settled  at  the  south.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  Alabama,  was  a  Presidential 
Elector  for  that  state  when  Grant  was  elected  President,  and  a 
member  of  Congress  from  1869  to  1871.  He  removed  to 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  in  1873,  and  was  at  the  head  of  the  Republican 


228 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


party  in  that  state  for  eighteen  years.  He  was  Marshal  of 
the  United  States  for  Georgia  during  the  administration  of 
Harrison;  and  was  a  delegate  to  five  Republican  National  Con- 
ventions. He  was  also  connected  with  many  industries  for 
developing  the  coal  and  iron  resources  of  Alabama  and 
Georgia,  and  was  an  important  factor  in  the  growth  of  the  New 
South. 

In  April,  1897,  Colonel  Buck  was  appointed  United  States 
Minister  to  Japan,  by  President  McKinley,  and  served  most 
successfully  and  acceptably  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
Tokyo,  December  4,  1902.  Many  tributes  to  his  official  ability 
and  success  as  minister  at  the  court  of  Japan  appeared,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  the  Japanese  and  American  press.  He 
carried  to  his  office  a  ripe  knowledge  of  American  politics,  a 
keen  insight  into  national  affairs,  and  great  administrative 
ability.  While  in  Tokyo,  he  won  the  highest  respect  and 
esteem,  and  received  marked  recognition  at  the  Japanese  court. 
His  term  of  service  as  United  States  minister  was  one  of  dis- 
tinction to  himself  and  of  honor  to  his  country.  He  was  a  man, 
morally  and  mentally,  of  a  large  mould,  and  had  within 
himself  the  elements  of  greatness.  He  lies  buried,  as  he 
wished,  in  the  cemetery  at  Arlington,  with  the  nation's  hon- 
ored dead. 

As  we  reach  the  close  of  our  chapter,  the  stories  of  the  old 
Hallowell  Academy  and  of  the  Hallowell  High  School,  by  an 
unanticipated  transition,  merge  into  one.  In  1873,  both  of 
these  schools  were  united  with  the  new  Classical  School.  In 
1885,  after  the  discontinuance  of  the  Classical  School,  the 
High  School  was  reopened,  and  established  in  the  old  Acad- 
emy building;  and  thus,  this  time-honored  structure  as  re- 
modeled by  the  city  fathers,  remains  today,  a  monument  of 
the  early  and  never-failing  purpose  of  Hallowell  to  liberally 
educate  her  sons  and  daughters. 


XIV 


THE  LIBRARIES  OF  HALLOWELL 

''Here  is  that  *etherial  and  fifth  essence,  the  breath  of  reason 
itself,  the  seasoned  life  of  men,  preserved  and  stored  up  in  books.'  " 

— Rev.  Henry  V.  Bmmons. 

EXT  to  the  schools  of  a  town,  in  the  influences  that 
develop  the  character,  educate  the  mind,  and  perfect 
the  intellectual  and  moral  culture  of  the  people,  stand 
its  private  and  public  libraries.  To  every  town  or 
city,  the  schools  are  the  absolutely  essential  source  of  intel- 
ligence, prosperity,  and  happiness  in  the  community;  but,  from 
the  libraries,  emanate  that  subtle  force  and  influence  that 
perfect  the  work  of  the  school,  by  expanding  its  budding 
growth  into  the  blossom  and  fruitage  of  intellectual  culture. 
Old  Hallowell  had  the  happy  fate  of  having  its  schools,  which 
were  founded  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  immedi- 
ately supplemented  by  most  excellent  private  and  public 
libraries. 

Among  the  early  settlers  at  the  Hook,  there  were  not  a 
few  families,  like  the  Merricks,  the  Pages,  the  Dummers,  the 
Sheppards,  and  others,  that  brought  with  them  a  very  excellent 
collection,  of  goodly  books;  but  upon  the  Vaughan  library, 
Hallowell  bases  its  claim  of  having  within  its  limits,  at  the 
opening  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  largest  and  most 
valuable  library  in  New  England,  with  the  exception  of  that  of 
Harvard  College. 

The  owner  of  this  library.  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  who 
came  to  Hallowell  in  1797,  was  one  of  the  most  scholarly  and 
cultured  men  of  his  time.  The  books  in  his  Jibrary  had  been 
collected,  with  rare  discrimination,  from  the  publications  of 
England,  France,  Switzerland,  Germany,  and  America.  In 
this  library  there  were  ten  thousand  volumes.  The  walls  of  the 
Vaughan  mansion  were  literally  lined  with  books.  Moreover, 
Dr.  Vaughan  was  not  only  an  ardent  lover  but  a  generous 


230 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


lender  of  good  literature.  His  bookshelves,  which  were 
especially  rich  in  classic  and  scientific  works,  were  always  open 
for  reference  to  the  student;  and  thus  the  whole  community 
was  enriched  by  the  wealth  of  the  Vaughan  library. 

But  it  was  not  only  the  mature  student,  and  the  men  and 
women  of  the  town,  that  were  welcome  to  the  use  of  these 
interesting  and  valuable  books.  The  children  of  Old  Hal- 
lowell were  equally  indebted  to  the  Vaughan  library,  one 
department  of  which  was  filled  with  the  best  books  for  young 
people  that  could  be  procured  at  this  time.  Every  Saturday 
afternoon,  this  library  was  opened,  and  the  books  were  freely 
loaned  to  the  boys  and  girls  who  came  for  them.  The  value  of 
these  books  to  the  children  of  Hallowell  cannot  be  overesti- 
mated. Of  this  home  library,  and  of  the  gracious  hostess  who 
here  dispensed  the  best  gifts  of  classic  and  story-book  lore  to 
the  favored  children  of  this  olden  time,  Mr.  John  S.  C.  Abbott 
writes  as  follows: 

"Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  whose  names  I  can 
never  speak  but  with  the  most  profound  emotions  of  reverence 
and  affection,  opened  their  spacious  library  every  week  to  the 
children  of  the  village.  It  contained,  among  its  other  literary 
treasures,  as  choice  a  collection  of  juvenile  books  as  money 
could  then  afford.  Every  Saturday  afternoon  the  children 
were  accustomed  to  cluster  on  the  piazza  of  the  spacious 
mansion  to  exchange  these  well-read  volumes.  One  good 
mother  in  Hallowell,  whose  five  sons  imbibed  from  this 
library  such  tastes  that  they  all  passed  through  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege and  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  said  to  one  of  them : 
*You  children  will  never  be  able  to  appreciate  the  debt  of 
gratitude  you  owe  to  the  Vaughan  family. ' 

"Mrs.  Vaughan,"  adds  Mr.  Abbott,  "was  a  very  lovely 
woman  full  of  vivacity  and  activity,  with  a  face  beaming  with 
intelligence.  I  can  now  see  her  questioning  the  children  as  to 
what  they  had  read,  and,  with  her  slight  and  fragile  form,  nimbly 
ascending  the  library  steps  and  selecting  such  a  book  as  she 
thought  best  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  the  child.  Sixty  years 
of  this  stormy  life  have  passed  away,  and  I  can  yet  recall 
the  intensity  of  pleasurable  emotion  with  which  those  precious 


The  Otis  Library 


231 


volumes  were  read  during  the  long  evenings  of  a  Maine  winter. 
The  influence  of  this  library  upon  that  little  community  was 
very  remarkable;  so  much  so  that  in  the  social  gatherings 
of  the  children  which  were  frequent,  and  which  always  broke  up 
when  the  nine  o'clock  bell  rang,  one  of  their  principal  joys  was 
to  entertain  each  other  with  the  recital  of  original  stories,  made 
up  extempore  wpon  the  occasion." 

Another  very  remarkable  private  library  in  Hallowell  was 
that  of  the  Hon.  John  Otis.  Throughout  his  life,  Mr.  Otis 
was  a  student  and  lover  of  good  literature.  He  was  a  collector  of 
rare  and  valuable  old  books,  and  his  library  contained  hundreds  of 
volumes  of  interest  to  the  antiquarian  student.  Some  of  these 
books,  that  probably  could  not  have  been  obtained  elsewhere  in 
this  country,  were  purchased  at  the  sale  of  the  library  of  Mr. 
Samuel  Vaughan  of  London.  There  were,  in  Mr.  Otis'  collection, 
about  a  thousand  books  and  pamphlets  published  prior  to  1800. 
These  were  works  on  history,  travel,  biography,  science,  politics, 
philosophy,  poetry  and  belles-lettres.  Upon  his  book  shelves 
were  the  old  Greek  and  Latin  authors,  in  the  original,  and  in 
modern  translations.  There  were  also  translations  from  the 
Persian,  Arabic,  German,  French,  and  Italian.  The  works  of 
the  English  historians  and  poets  were  represented  in  fine 
editions.  There  were  essays  and  sermons  innumerable,  and 
tracts  upon  all  subjects  from  the  ^'Antiquity  of  Scandal  and 
Birthday  of  Folly,"  to  the  most  abstruse  treatises  on  theologi- 
cal and  political  polemics,  and  Plain  Truths  and  Remarks  on 
Common  Sense."  To  emphasize  the  importance  of  the  state- 
ment in  regard  to  the  rareness  and  value  of  these  old  volumes, 
the  titles  and  date  of  publication  of  some  of  them  are  here  given. 

The  oldest  book  in  the  library  bore  the  date  of  1492.  This 
book  was  the  Herodias  Epistolae^  by  the  Laljin  poet  Publius 
Ovidius  Naso,  whom  we  commonly  called  Ovid.  A  worthy 
and  venerable  companion  to  this  ancient  volume  was  a  book  by 
Diogenes  Laertius,  entitled  The  Lives  of  the  Philosophers. 
This  was  a  beautiful  well-preserved  folio,  printed  on  vellum,  in 
1493.  These  two  books  alone  would  give  distinction  to  any 
library,  public  or  private,  in  our  country. 


232 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


The  century  from  1500  to  1600  was  represented  by  twelve 
valuable  volumes;  the  century  from  1600  to  1700  by  one 
hundred  and  ten  volumes ;  the  century  from  1700  to  1800,  by 
six  hundred  and  seventy-five  volumes.  The  library  therefore 
contained  over  eight  hundred  books  besides  numerous  pam- 
phlets, published  prior  to  1800. 

Notable  among  the  books  printed  between  1500  and  1600 
were: 

Quintiliani.    De  Institutione.    15 14. 

Ovidii  Epistole,  cum  Comment,  Calderini  et  Badio.  Black 
Letter.  Curious  Wood  cuts.  Folio  Calf.  Lugduni.  1523. 
(This  is  a  very  rare  volume.) 

Homeri  Ilias  et  Ulyssea  cum  Interpretatione .  Folio .  1535. 
(A  very  fine  rare  copy.) 

Sententae  Veterum  Poetarum  per  Georgium  Maiorum. 
1551. 

P.  Ovidii  Nasonis.    Metamorphoses.    (In  Latin.)  1568. 

Ptolomaei  Geographiae,  per  C.  Mercator.  1584.  (Fine 
ancient  maps.    Very  rare.) 

The  Mirrour  of  Policie.  A  Work  no  less  profitable  than 
necessarie,  for  all  Magistrates  and  Governors  of  Estates  and 
Commonweales.    1590.  (Rare.) 

The  Historie  of  the  Warres  of  Italie  and  Other  Partes. 
Translated  by  Geffray  Fenton.    By  F.  Guicciardini.  1599. 

Among  the  books  printed  between  1600  and  1700,  the 
oldest  was  A  Generall  Historie  of  the  Netherlands,  with  Genea- 
logic  and  Memorable  Acts  of  the  Earls  of  Holland,  Zeeland  and 
West  Friesland.  This  was  a  magnificently  illustrated  Folio, 
issued  in  1608.  Other  books  of  this  century  were :  Montaigne's 
Essays,  *'done  into  English"  by  John  Florio,  London,  1613; 
Histoire  des  Martyrs,  Geneva,  16 19;  Purchase.  His  Pilgrim es 
contayning  a  History  of  the  World  in  Sea  Voyages  and  Land 
Travells  by  Englishmen  and  Others;  (a  very  rare  work  in  four 
volumes  published  in  1625-6);  The  Painting  of  the  Ancients,  by 
Franciscus,  Jr.,  London,  1633;  Military  Essayes  of  the  Ancient 
Grecian,  Roman,  and  Modern  Art  of  War,  by  Sir  James 
Turner,  London,  1633;  and  The  Historie  of  the  World 
C.  Pliny,  Translated  by  Philemon  Holland,  1634. 


The  Otis  Library 


233 


One  very  rare  and  curious  work  was  that  by  Sir  John 
Finette,  (Master  of  Ceremonies),  entitled  Some  Choice  Observa- 
tions touching  the  Reception  and  Precedence,  the  T^^eatment  and 
Audie7ice,  the  Punctillios  and  Contests  of  Foreign  Ambassador's 
in  England,  1656. 

Two  valuable  and  interesting  histories  were  the  Chronicles 
of  the  Kings  of  England,  by  Sir  Richard  Baker,  1674;  and  a 
very  rare  work,  entitled  The  Account  of  the  Pretended  Prince  of 
Wales  and  other  Grievances  that  occasioned  the  Invitation  of 
the  Prince  of  Orange,  with  other  papers  relating  to  the  Revolu- 
tion, 1688.  Another  highly  prized  book  was  Meditationes  de 
Prima  de  Philosophia,  by  Descartes,  Elzivir,  Amsterdam,  1678. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  a  collection  of  over  one  hundred 
books  printed  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Among  the  books 
of  the  eighteenth  century  it  is  more  difficult  to  make  a  repre- 
sentative selection.  This  collection  included  many  fine  and 
richly  illustrated  volumes  on  history,  travel,  poetry,  and  philos- 
ophy. Some  of  the  oldest  were  Malabranch's  Search  After 
Truth,  1700;  Dryden's  Poems  and  Translations,  1701;  The 
Glory  of  Queen  Anne,  1703.  There  was  also  the  Peerage  of 
England,  in  eight  volumes,  by  Arthur  Collins,  1779;  and  that 
very  rare  and  interesting  folio,  A  Display  of  Heraldrie,  by  John 
Guyllym,  probably  the  edition  of  1724.  Two  other  books  that 
appeal  very  strongly  to  us  at  the  present  day,  were  The  Generall 
Historic  of  Virginia,  New  England,  and  the  Summer  Isles^  by 
Capt.  John  Smith,  1629,  (a  reprint);  and  a  rare  edition  of 
Robert  Beverely's  History  of  Virginia  in  Four  Parts,  printed 
in  1705.  Other  miscellaneous  but  interesting  books  were  the 
famous  Junius  Letters,  1772;  The  Freethinker;  Essays  in  Wit 
and  Humor,  1740;  E.  Burke  on  the  Sublime  and  Beautiful,  1757; 
Ancient  and  Modern  Scottish  Songs  and  Heroic  Ballads,  1776', 
The  Acts  and  Deeds  of  the  Most  Famous  Valliant  Champion, 
Sir  William  Wallace,  written  by  blind  I^arry,  a  Scottish 
minstrel  who  died  about  1492;  apd  a  quaint  copy  of  Luther's 
German  Bible.  The >  English  poets  were  represented  in  hand- 
some editions,  and  the  books  of  the  nineteenth  century  were 
too  numerous  to  mention. 

I  well  remember  this  library  and  the  impression  which  this 


234 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


seemingly  vast  collection  of  books  always  produced  upon  my 
childish  mind.  Many  of  the  books  were  kept  in  alcoves  in  the 
hall  where  the  book  shelves  were  built  into  the  wall.  No 
marvel  of  modern  architecture  which  it  has  since  been  my  lot  to 
behold,  has  ever  inspired  such  a  sense  of  rapturous  awe  as  I 
always  felt  on  entering  this  fine  old  hall  with  its  glass-covered 
book-cases,  its  arched  doorways,  and  its  wonderful  winding 
stairway  which  seemed  to  swing  itself  upward  by  some  marvel- 
ous but  invisible  means  to  enchanted  regions  above. 

Mr.  Otis  died  in  1856;  and  after  his  death  this  valuable 
library  was  preserved  intact,  at  the  Grant  mansion,  until  the 
year  1878.  It  was  then  sold  at  auction  in  Boston  and  nearly  all 
of  its  rare  folios,  books,  pamphlets,  etc.,  were  scattered  among 
libraries  and  book-collectors  that  were  only  too  eager  to  secure 
them.  The  handsomely  illustrated  Historic  of  the  Netherlands 
is  now  in  the  Boston  Art  Museum  where  it  is  frequently  con- 
sulted by  the  students  of  art  and  history.  Happily  a  few  of  the 
most  valuable  volumes  are  still  in  the  possession  of  the  Otis 
family.  One  of  these,  printed  in  1747,  is  entitled  The  Heads 
of  Illustrious  Persons  of  Great  Britain;  and  as  we  turn  the 
leaves  of  this  beautiful  folio,  enriched  with  full  page  engravings 
by  Houbraken  and  Vertue,  we  realize  as  never  before  the  loss 
of  the  hundreds  of  rare  volumes  which  might,  perhaps,  have 
been  preserved  for  the  old  town  of  Hallowell.  The  books  were 
offered  for  sale,  but  the  opportunity  passed  unheeded.  This  is 
one  of  those  oversights  which  seem  unaccountable  in  the 
retrospect;  but  no  one  among  us  apparently  realized  what  a 
treasure  was  passing  from  our  grasp,  or  that  the  opportunity  of 
acquiring  such  a  collection  of  rare  old  books  would  never  come 
to  us  again.  It  is  with  infinite  and  unassuaged  regret  that 
we  now  think  of  the  loss  of  these  ancient  volumes  that  would 
have  been  of  inestimable  value  to  the  Hubbard  Free  Library, 
and  a  fitting  monument  of  the  time  when  Hallowell  rightfully 
bore  the  honor  of  being  "the  most  intellectual  and  literary 
town  in  Maine." 

In  those  earlier  days  several  of  the  literary  societies  of  Hal- 
lowell also  possessed  collections  of  books.    The  Kennebec 


The  Goodale  Library 


235 


Library  Society  and  the  Young  Men's  Society,  which  was 
a  literary  and  debating  club,  are  still  represented  by  a  number 
of  volumes  now  preserved  upon  the  shelves  of  the  Hubbard 
Free  Library. 

The  Franklin  Debating  Society  also  had  a  small  but 
well-selected  library.  This  society  was  composed  of  representa- 
tive young  men  of  Hallowell  who  took  themselves  and  their 
talents  more  seriously  than  do  many  young  men  of  the  present 
time,  and  who  endeavored  to  make  the  most  of  such  gifts  as 
they  possessed.  The  members  of  the  society  met  in  the  upper 
room  of  the  Old  South  school-house.  They  wrote  essays, 
declaimed  the  speeches  of  great  statesmen,  and  debated  ques- 
tions of  civic,  national,  historic,  and  theological  importance.  A 
record  of  the  meetings,  in  the  handwriting  of  one  of  its  principal 
members,  Henry  Knox  Baker,  is  preserved  in  the  Hubbard 
Free  Library,  with  a  number  of  books  bearing  the  label  of  the 
Franklin  Debating  Society. 

In  addition  to  these  libraries,  large  and  small,  there  was  also 
in  Hallowell,  in  the  olden  days,  a  very  excellent  circulating 
library,  founded  by  Ezekiel  Goodale,  printer  and  bookseller. 
"Uncle  Zekiel,"  as  this  early  benefactor  of  the  town  was 
called,  saw  the  necessity  of  a  good  library  easily  accessible  to 
the  general  public,  and,  with  a  commendable  spirit,  immediately 
founded  one.  As  his  business  placed  him  in  touch  with 
the  English  market,  Mr.  Goodale  imported  many  of  the  new 
and  standard  books  as  soon  as  they  were  issued  by  the  English 
publishing  houses.  From  small  beginnings,  the  Hallowell  Cir- 
culating Library  grew  to  a  large  and  valuable  collection.  Upon 
its  shelves  were  found  the  Spectator,  the  Rambler,  Shakespeare, 
Milton,  the  novels  of  Fielding  and  Smollet,  and  Richardson's 
Pamela.  To  these,  were  soon  added  the  works  of  Scott, 
Byron,  Moore,  Campbell,  Wordsworth,  Coleridge,  Lamb, 
Shelley,  and  of  many  other  authors  then  ne/v  to  the  reading 
world.  All  these  were  placed  by  a  book-loving  dealer  in  the 
hands  of  an  intelligent  circle  of  readers.  In  1820,  according  to 
the  attractive  catalogue  still  extant,  this  old  library  offered  to 
its  patrons  "novels,  romances,  plays,  biography,  history, 
voyages,  travels,  poems,  miscellaneous  reviews,  and  periodi- 


236 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


cals;"  and  among  the  latter,  were  the  London  Monthly  Maga- 
zine^ the  Atheneum,  the  Edinburgh  Review^  Quarterly 
Review,  and  the  American  Review  of  History  and  Politics.  It 
was  said  of  Ezekiel  Goodale,  the  founder  of  this  hbrary,  that  he 
was  not  a  Hterary  man  himself  but  was  **the  cause  of  literature 
in  others." 

The  Hallowell  Social  Library,  which  still  exists  under 
the  name  of  the  Hubbard  Free  Library,  was  established  in  1842. 
Among  its  most  prominent  founders  were  Dr.  Amos  Nourse, 
Rev.  Jonathan  Cole,  and  Mr.  Thomas  B.  Brooks.  This  library 
consisted  in  the  beginning  of  five  hundred  and  twenty-nine 
well-selected  volumes  purchased  by  the  shareholders.  These 
books  were,  for  twelve  years,  hospitably  housed,  free  of  rent, 
in  a  large  room  on  the  second  floor  of  the  store  of  Mr.  Brooks, 
on  the  corner  of  Winthrop  and  Water  Streets.  The  early 
patrons  of  this  library  will  recall  its  entrance  which  had  an  iron 
door  opening  upon  a  Venetian-like  balcony,  from  which  an  airy 
flight  of  stairs  descended  to  the  street  below. 

The  first  officers  of  the  Hallowell  Social  Library  Associa- 
tion were:  Andrew  M.2LSttrs,  president ;  Jonathan  Cole,  Samuel 
Wells,  Thomas  B.  Brooks,  Franklin  Scammon,  Justin  E. 
Smith,  directors;  Edward  K.  Butler,  treasurer;  Henry  K. 
Baker,  secretary  and  librarian.  The  services  of  those  who 
successively  held  the  office  of  librarian  were  gratuitously  given; 
and  grateful  acknowledgments  are  due  from  the  residents  of 
Hallowell  to  the  men  and  women  who  so  generously  gave 
their  time,  thought,  and  disinterested  efforts  to  this  beneficent 
work.  The  list  of  librarians  of  the  Hallowell  Social  Library  is 
on  record  as  follows:  Hon.  H.  K.  Baker,  Mr.  T.  B.  Brooks, 
Mr.  J.  C.  Dwight,  E.  K.  Butler,  Esq.,  Mr.  T.  W.  Newman, 
Miss  Lucy  M.  Emmons,  Dr.  M.  C.  Richardson,  Dr.  J.  De Wolfe 
Smith,  Miss  Annie  F.  Page,  and  Miss  Sophie  B.  Gilman  and 
Miss  Abbie  Eveleth,  assistant  librarians. 

In  1858,  the  library  received  the  donation  of  a  collection  of 
rare  and  valuable  books  from  the  library  of  Mr.  John  Merrick, 
and  another  accession  to  its  shelves  from  the  library  of  Mr. 
George  Merrick. 

In  1 86 1,  a  store  and  lot  on  Water  Street  valued  at  |^i6oo. 


The  Hallowell  Social  Library 


237 


was  presented  to  the  library  by  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan  of 
Cambridge.  This  gift  was  accompanied  by  a  cordial  letter, 
closing  as  follows : 

If  you  should  accept  the  enclosed  deed,  I  shall  be  happy  to  think 
I  have  done  something  for  the  benefit  of  an  institution  calculated,  if 
properly  managed,  to  do  much  good,  and  be  an  honor  to  my  native 
place,  which  still  has  my  best  affections. 

I  am 

Your  obt.  servant, 

CHAS.  VAUGHAN." 

The  hopes  and  expectations  of  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan, 
whose  gift  first  placed  the  library  upon  a  practical  financial 
basis,  were  abundantly  realized.  It  soon  became  necessary  to 
have  a  permanent  and  suitable  building  for  the  library;  and  the 
first  effectual  movement  to  this  end  is  due  to  the  women  of 
Hallowell  who,  in  the  summer  of  1868,  met  at  the  home  of  Mrs. 
Simon  Page,  and  appointed  two  secretaries,  Miss  Emma  G. 
Hubbard  and  Miss  Annie  F.  Page,  to  solicit  funds  for  the  pur- 
chase of  a  lot,  and  for  the  subsequent  erection  of  an  ideal 
library  building.  In  1878,  the  "Library  Building  Association" 
was  formed.  Its  officers  were:  Mrs.  J.  De Wolfe  Smith, 
president;  Miss  Mary  E.  Moody,  treasurer;  Miss  Annie  F. 
Page,  secretary;  Mrs.  H.  F.  Harding,  Miss  Emma  G.  Hubbard, 
Miss  Harriet  Morgridge,  Miss  Sophie  B.  Gilman,  Miss  Lucy 
M.  Emmons,  executive  committee. 

Through  the  efforts  of  these  public-spirited  women  of 
Hallowell  the  enterprise,  so  courageously  undertaken,  was 
carried  out  to  complete  success.  In  1880,  a  beautiful  stone 
building,  the  cumulative  gift  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Old 
Hallowell  to  the  mother  town,  was  erected  on  Second  Street. 
The  granite  of  which  this  edifice  was  constructed  was  quarried 
from  the  Hallowell  hills,  and  was  the  gift  of  Governor  J.  R. 
Bodwell,  the  large-hearted,  widely-beloved  president  of  the 
Hallowell  Granite  Company.  The  iron  cresting  was  generously 
donated  by  the  Fuller  Brothers  of  Hallowell.  The  architectural 
plan  for  the  library  was  designed  and  presented  to  the  commit- 
tee by  Mr.  A.  C.  Currier,  as  a  tribute  to  his  native  town;  and 


238 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  funds  for  the  erection  of  the  building  were  contributed  by 
the  residents  and  former  residents  of  Hallowell.  When  all 
completed,  the  beautiful  Gothic  edifice  stood,  like  a  temple  of 
old,  lifting  its  portals  to  the  east ;  and  the  ladies  of  the  Library 
Building  Association  had  the  supreme  pleasure  of  committing 
its  keys  to  the  officers  of  the  Hallowell  Social  Library. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1880,  this  library  was  publicly  ded- 
icated to  the  great  and  noble  purpose  for  which  it  was  designed. 
On  this  occasion  an  oration  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Henry 
V.  Emmons,  and  an  original  poem  was  read  by  Mrs.  Emma 
Huntington  Nason.  All  of  the  other  parts  of  the  programme 
were  likewise  contributed  by  loyal  sons  and  daughters  of 
Hallowell,  in  harmony  with  the  general  plan  of  the  building  and 
presentation  committee. 

Thus  this  library,  in  the  words  of  the  Rev.  Henry  V. 
Emmons,  the  orator  of  the  day,  was  ''dedicated  to  the  honor  of 
the  living  and  the  memory  of  the  dead,  among  its  donors  and 
promoters;  to  the  perpetuation  of  the  memory  of  our- fathers; 
to  the  adding  of  comfort  and  culture  to  our  homes;  to  the 
unfolding  of  the  minds  and  the  refinement  of  the  tastes  of  our 
children;  to  the  elevation  of  our  aims  and  our  manners;  to  the 
advancement  of  learning  and  liberality  and  loyalty;  to  the 
common  welfare  among  our  citizens;  to  the  spread  of  truth  and 
the  correction  of  error;  to  the  inculcation  of  candor,  fidelity, 
proberty,  and  veracity,  and  the  promotion  of  liberty,  patriotism, 
and  piety."  Well  has  this  library  fulfilled  its  mission;  and  that 
it  has  done  so,  has  been,  in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  fidelity, 
enthusiasm,  and  literary  discrimination  of  its  librarians,  Miss 
Annie  F.  Page  and  Miss  Sophie  B,  Gilman,  who  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  with  a  devotion  akin  to  that  of  priest- 
esses at  a  shrine,  have  stood  at  this  altar  of  learning,  and 
guided  both  young  and  old  into  its  inner  sanctuary. 

In  1893,  the  library  was  enlarged  through  the  liberal 
endowment  of  ;^ 20,000,  from  General  Thomas  H.  Hubbard,  an 
honored  son  of  Hallowell;  and  the  free  library  and  reading 
room  was  thus  established.  The  building  was  re-dedicated  on 
March  15,  1894.  At  this  time  an  able  and  eloquent  address,  on 
''The  Place  and  Work  of  the  Public  Library,"  was  delivered  by 


i 

Gene:rai,  Thomas  H.  Hubbard 


The  Hubbard  Free  Library 


239 


Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson,  who  paid,  during  his  discourse, 
a  loyal  tribute  to  the  treasure-store  of  books  with  which  he  was 
familiar  in  his  boyhood.  A  beautiful  and  suggestive  poem, 
written  by  a  gifted  daughter  of  Hallowell,  Mrs.  Martha  Baker 
Dunn,  was  read  by  Mr.  Walter  F.  Marston.  One  stanza  of  this 
poem  might  well  be  engraved  upon  the  portals  of  this  library: 

"  Then  enter  here  with  reverent  tread, 
Here  bare  the  brow,  uplift  the  eye, 
Do  homage  to  the  deathless  dead, — 
Within  these  walls  they  never  die." 

To  the  donor  of  this  munificent  gift  to  the  library,  to  him 
who  thus  made  the  desires  of  the  people  a  reality  in  enduring 
stone,  words  of  acknowledgment  must  ever  be  inadequate;  but 
as  a  perpetual  expression  of  the  gratitude  of  the  citizens  of 
Hallowell  for  this  benefaction  to  themselves,  their  children,  and 
their  children's  children,  and  in  memory  of  the  Hubbard  family, 
this  library  was  named,  in  1894,  the  Hubbard  Free  Library. 

In  1897,  the  library  received  an  endowment  of  $10,000, 
which  was  expended  in  adding  a  west  wing  to  the  building. 
This  liberal  benefaction  was  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Clark  Lowell, 
a  direct  descendant  of  Deacon  Pease  Clark,  the  first  settler  of 
Hallowell. 

When  the  west  wing,  now  designated  as  the  "Lowell 
Museum,"  was  completed  in  1898,  and  the  building  was  opened, 
for  the  third  time,  to  the  public,  with  dedicatory  exercises. 
Mrs.  Lowell,  at  the  age  of  ninety-four  years,  had  the  pleasure  of 
being  present  to  receive  the  grateful  acknowledgments  of  the 
friends  and  patrons  of  the  library.  The  address  for  this  occa- 
sion on  "Libraries  and  Their  Uses,"  was  written  by  the  vener- 
able Judge  Henry  K.  Baker.  The  poem,  by  Miss  Ellen  Hamlin 
Butler,  entitled  ''The  Creating  of  the  ^^7<?>^,"^  presented  a  beau- 
tiful conception  of  the  development  of  the  mental  growth  of  the 
human  race,  from  which  one  learned  how  humanity  was  first 
taught  to  live^  then  to  sing,  and  then  to  write,  and  at  last  to 
read.  The  poem  closed  with  the  following  invocation  to  the 
"fortunate  children  of  these  last  days:" 


240 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


* '  Oh  friends, 
This  is  a  story  that  never  ends 
The  story!  Ah  no,  face  to  face  are  we 
With  quickening  immortality. 
These  arches  for  our  communion  keep 
The  heart  of  Dante,  passionate  deep, 
The  voice  of  Taliesin  breaking  its  bars. 
The  speech  of  Homer  like  marching  stars, 
The  mind  of  Plato  married  to  truth. 
The  soul  of  Christ  in  its  matchless  youth ! 
And  if  ye  will  muse  a  little  space 
In  the  holy  silence  that  fills  this  place, 
Ye  shall  lift  your  eyes,  and  —  every  one  — 
Behold  the  message  spelled  by  the  sun, 
The  spirit's  message  told,  yet  once  more, 
In  the  fair  rose -window  over  the  door  : 

HK  knows  the  secret  Oif  TIME,  INDEED, 

Who  seeking  the  i.ight,  comes  hither  to  read." 

And  so  the  history  of  this  library  is  not  like  "a  tale  that  is  told," 
but  rather  like  an  accumulative  story  filled  with  pleasant  hap- 
penings, and  records  of  constant  benefactions  from  its  friends. 
The  library  has  been  frequently  remembered  with  gifts  of  books, 
pictures,  portraits,  busts,  valuable  curios,  and  donations  of 
money  for  special  purposes.  In  1887,  the  library  received,  by 
the  will  of  Mrs.  Almira  C.  Dummer,  a  bequest  of  $500,  together 
with  a  large  number  of  books.  Among  these  timely  gifts,  there 
also  came,  one  day,  a  check  for  $800,  from  a  "Stranger."  The 
donor  long  remained  unknown,  but  it  was  at  last  ascertained 
that  this  beneficent  ''Stranger"  was  Mr.  Henry  Sampson  of 
New  York.  Several  very  interesting  and  valuable  contributions 
to  the  collection  of  antique  curiosities  and  works  of  art  in  the 
"Lowell  Museum"  have  been  donated  by  Mr.  Everett  T. 
Getchell. 

In  1898,  the  children  of  Judge  Henry  K.  Baker  gave  to 
the  library  a  valuable  collection  of  one  hundred  volumes;  and, 
at  the  same  time,  presented  a  marble  bust  of  their  father, 
in  whose  memory  the  books  were  given.  This  life-like  bust  of 
Judge  Baker  is  the  work  of  the  Sculptor  Mahoney.  A  portrait 
of  Judge  Baker,  painted  by  Scott  Clifton  Carbee,  hangs  above 
the  case  of  books.    These  gifts  form  a  fitting  memorial  of  one 


The  Hubbard  Free  Library 


241 


who  throughout  his  long  Ufe  was  devotedly  interested  in  the 
work  of  the  library. 

A  marble  bust  of  Judge  Oilman  and  fine  portraits  of  Mr. 
John  Merrick,  Mr.  Thomas  B.  Merrick,  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan, 
Dr.  M.  C.  Richardson,  and  General  Thomas  H.  Hubbard  hold 
places  of  honor  in  the  library. 

And  thus  to-day,  the  Hubbard  Free  Library,  hewn  from 
the  heart  of  our  own  hills,  stands  thrice  consecrated.  Its  un- 
seen, yet  all-pervasive  forces  have  permeated  the  homes, 
refined  and  elevated  the  minds,  enlarged  the  mental  and 
spiritual  vision,  and  strengthened  and  ennobled  the  character 
of  all  who  have  gone  in  and  out  beneath  its  portals.  Of 
the  hallowed  mission  of  the  books  upon  its  shelves  no  one  can 
adequately  speak;  for — 

"Subtle,  such  influence,  and  vast! 

And  he  who  tells  its  power  for  good 
Must  take  his  data  from  the  past, 

And  reckon  to  infinitude." 

"These  volumes,"  said  Professor  Richardson,  at  the  close 
of  his  dedicatory  address,  **will  outlast  us,  yet  they  too  will 
sometime  perish.  Some  part  of  their  contents,  however,  it  is 
sober  truth  to  say,  may  be  made  to  pass  beyond  the  visible 
world  when  turned  into  the  mental  and  spiritual  life  of  the 
individual,  which  we  believe  to  be  in  its  nature  indestructible. 
Of  the  beautiful  building  and  the  excellent  library  thus 
influencing  imperishable  souls,  we  may  say,  in  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes'  stately  lines : 

'Kniblem  and  legend  may  fade  from  the  portal, 
Keystone  may  crumble  and  pillar  may  fall, 

They  were  the  builders  whose  work  is  immortal, 
Crowned  with  the  dome  that  is  over  us  all.'  " 

/ 


XV 


OLD  BOOKS  AND  NEWSPAPERS 

"There  was  inbred  among  us  a  love  of  good  letters." 

— Rev.  Henry  V.  Emmons. 

^^^^ HE  literary  life  of  Hallowell  began  simultaneously  with 
/  ■  its  material  existence.  If  there  was  ever  **a  social  struc- 
ture  founded  on  a  book,"  it  was  surely  in  this  old  town. 
It  has  been  truly  said  that  the  Hallowell  people  were  a 
reading  people.  There  were,  however,  among  them,  not  only 
many  readers  of  books  but  makers  of  books.  Printers  and  pub- 
lishers abounded  among  our  early  settlers ;  and  a  surprisingly 
large  number  of  books,  pamphlets,  and  newspapers  were  issued 
from  the  press  of  old  Hallowell.  Over  one  hundred  of  these 
ancient  Hallowell  imprints  have  been  collected  and  placed  in 
the  Hubbard  Free  Library.  The  oldest  of  these  is  an  address 
delivered  at  the  dedication  of  the  Hallowell  Academy  in  1795. 

The  first  book  published  in  Hallowell  was  a  work  of 
fiction,  issued  by  Howard  L.  Robinson  in  1797,  and  entitled 
Female  Friendship,  or  the  Innocent  Sufferer:  A  Moral  Novel. 
This  curious  old-fashioned  story  opens  with  a  retrospective 
chapter  which  contains  tragedy  enough  for  a  whole  novel,  and, 
in  the  tale  that  follows,  the  misery  is  so  generally  diffused 
that  it  is  difficult  to  decide  whether  ''dearest  Emily,"  or  some 
other  one  of  the  intensely  sympathetic  characters,  is  the 
"innocent  sufferer. "  This  book  was  published  anonymously, 
and  the  name  of  the  author  is  unfortunately  lost  to  fame. 

In  the  year  1800,  a  notable  book,  entitled  the  Rtiral 
Socrates  was  given  to  the  public,  by  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan. 
This  volume  contains  an  account  of  "a  celebrated  philosophical 
farmer,  named  Kilyogg,  lately  living  in  Switzerland."  The 
book  was  printed  by  Peter  Edes,  and  "sold  by  the  booksellers 
of  the  principal  towns  of  the  United  States." 

One  of  the  earliest  printers  and  publishers  in  the  town 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


243 


was  Ezekiel  Goodale;  and  to  him  is  ascribed  the  honor  of 
estabUshing  the  first  permanent  publishing  house  in  HallowelL 
He  was  the  first  of  a  somewhat  remarkable  succession  of 
men — a  sort  of  dynasty  of  printers  and  publishers — who  per- 
petuated the  business,  with  the  occasional  substitution  of  a 
new  name  in  the  firm,  for  over  sixty  years. 

Ezekiel  Goodale  came  to  Hallowell  in  1802.  He  first 
opened  a  little  shop  in  the  front  room  of  Moses  Sewall's 
house  where  he  sold  spelling-books  and  a  few  copies  of  the 
New  England  Primer.  He  prospered  in  business  and,  in  181 3, 
opened  a  printing  establishment,  at  the  ''Sign  of  the  Bible," 
near  the  foot  of  Academy  Street.  In  1806,  Mr.  Goodale  pub- 
lished an  interesting  book  entitled  The  History  of  the  Bible  and 
the  Jews. 

This  book  was  originally  written  in  Dutch,  from  which 
language  it  was  translated  into  English.  A  copy  of  the  work 
was  brought  to  Hallowell  by  Deacon  Gow  from  Scotland,  and 
was  reprinted  by  Ezekiel  Goodale,  at  the  "Sign  of  the  Bible." 
When  the  volume  appeared  in  print,  Crom  Aldrich,  one  of  the 
local  poets,  composed  this  couplet: 

**The  History  of  the  Bible  and  the  Jews 
Is  the  beautifullest  book  I  ever  did  peruse." 

The  book  is  certainly  a  work  that  demands  some  superla- 
tive adjectives.  It  consists  of  a  series  of  dialogues,  first 
between  the  "Pilgrim"  and  Adam;  then  between  the  "Pilgrim" 
and  Noah;  and  afterwards,  between  the  "Pilgrim"  and  the 
Apostle  John,  and  the  "Pilgrim"  and  Melanchthon.  In  these 
dialogues  we  are  permitted  to  look  upon  the  history  of  the 
world  through  the  eyes  of  the  Patriarchs;  and  also  to  discuss, 
with  the  "Pilgrim!"  and  the  Apostle  John,  the  direct  dealings 
of  God  with  man,  and  the  more  abstruse  philosophy  of  the  uni- 
verse. The  conversations  with  Adam  savor  somewhat  of  the 
senile  garrulity  that  might  be  expected  of  an  old  man  nine 
hundred  and  thirty  years  of  age;  but  who,  as  the  "Pilgrim" 
suggests,  "having  conversed  both  with  God  and  man,  must 
have  acquired  a  large  stock  of  knowledge  and  experience.'* 
His  sufferings  after  leaving  Paradise  are  pathetically  related. 


244 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


"What  troubled  me  extremely,"  said  Adam,  "was  that  my  wife, 
who  had  ever  conducted  herself  with  great  meekness  and 
affection,  began  to  be  somewhat  froward  and  contradictory, 
which  gave  rise  to  many  discords.  Oh,  son, — a  most  distress- 
ing subject  it  is  to  me  to  talk  of!" 

New  editions  of  other  religious  works  followed:  Pilgrim's 
Progress  in  1814,  ^  History  of  Persecution^  1819;  Taylor  s 
Holy  Living,  1820:  and  Paleys  Evidences,  in  1826.  In  the 
meantime  Murray's  Grammar,  181 2,  Goldsmith's  England, 
1 8 14,  Arnaud's  French  Verbs,  1823,  Kinne' s  Practical  Arith- 
metic, 1820,  and  the  New  Pleasing  Spelling  Book,  181 8,  show 
that  the  educational  interests  of  the  young  people  were  not 
neglected  in  the  first  two  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
The  New  Pleasing  Spelling  Book  is  indeed  most  pleasingly 
arranged.  The  pages  containing  the  spelling  lessons  are 
printed  in  double  columns,  and  interspersed  with  stories  and 
lively  dialogues  in  which  the  long  hard  words  all  reappear  in 
most  delightful  combinations.  What  child  could  resist  them! 
Moral  Amusemeftt  was  also  published  by  Ezekiel  Goodale. 
This  was  "A  selection  from  the  most  approved  authors  for 
the  instruction  and  mental  improvement  of  young  ladies  and 
gentlemen." 

Nor  did  "Uncle  Zekiel"  forget  the  children  of  Hallowell. 
In  181 3,  he  published  the  Affecting  History  of  the  Children  in 
the  Wood,  with  pathetic  illustrations.  Happily,  however,  these 
children  did  not  perish  at  the  last,  like  those  whom  the  robins 
buried  in  the  leaves,  but  were  rescued  by  a  good,  kind  woman, 
with  whom  they  lived  in  "uninterrupted  peace"  at  "Happy 
Dell,"  for  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  This  remarkable  story 
is  interspersed  with  many  moral  reflections  and  "pretty 
hymns,"  which  "the  Babes"  learned  and  often  repeated,  and 
which  all  good  children  would  do  well  to  commit  to  memory. 

The  cover  of  this  old  book  bears  the  following  inscription 
written  in  a  bold  clear  hand : 

Pattey  Smiths  hur  Book  of  Epping. 

We  cannot  help  feeling  sorry  for  Pattey,  as  we  think  of  the 
tears  she  must  have  shed  over  this  tragic  tale,  which,  as  the 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


245 


author  avows,  is  "unsparingly  related  in  every  particular." 
Our  sympathies  also  go  out  to  that  other  little  girl  who  was 
the  possessor  of  one  of  Cotton  Mather's  doleful  books,  on  the 
fly-leaf  of  which  she  wrote  this  touching  inscription : 

Sarah  Harriss  hur  book 
god  give  her  Grace  therein  to  Look 
&  when  the  Bells  for  hur  Do  tole 
the  Lord  of  heaven  Recijue  her  Sole 
the  Roses  red  the  grass  is  Green 
the  Days  is  past  which  I  have  seen.'* 

Another  remarkable  book  for  children  was  The  Sister  s 
Gift:  The  Naughty  Boy  Reformed,  "published  for  the  Advan- 
tage of  the  Rising  Generation,"  1809.  The  two  prominent 
characters  in  this  story  are  Miss  Kitty,  aged  twelve,  and  Master 
Billy,  aged  eight.  Master  Billy  is  a  bad  boy,  a  very  bad  boy 
indeed.  He  ties  a  tin  can  to  the  dog's  tail;  he  throws  his 
sister's  pet  kitten  out  of  the  window;  and  does  other  wicked 
and  equally  unheard-of  deeds,  all  vividly  depicted  in  the  illus- 
trations which  it  would  seem  might  be  quite  suggestive  to 
other  bad  boys,  if  there  were  any  at  this  period.  Mistress 
Kitty  labors  with  her  wayward  brother,  as  a  virtuous  elder 
sister  should;  and  we  are  delighted  to  know,  at  the  close  of  the 
story,  that  "Master  Billy  wept  bitterly,  and  declared  to  his 
sister  that  she  had  painted  the  enormity  of  his  vices  in  such 
striking  colors  that  they  shocked  him  in  the  greatest  degree, 
and  promised  ever  after  to  be  as  remarkable  for  generosity, 
compassion,  and  every  other  virtue,  as  he  had  hitherto  been 
for  cruelty,  forwardness,  and  ill-nature."  On  the  last  page  of 
the  book  we  read  that  "the  piety  of  a  child  is  sweeter  than  the 
incense  of  Persia,  offered  to  the  sun ;  yea,  more  delicious  than 
odors,  wafted  from  a  field  of  Arabian  spices  by  the  western 
gales."  ^ 

One  book  of  American  verse  appears  among  the  early  pub- 
lications of  Goodale.  It  was  McFingal:  A  modern  Epic, 
written  by  John  Trumbull,  Esq.,  and  inspired  by  the  events  of 
the  Revolution.  There  are  other  imprints  from  the  press  of 
"Uncle  Zekiel,"  wherein  to  look  would  certainly  require  grace; 
but  one  publication,  for  which  his  name  should  be  most  grate- 


246 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


fully  perpetuated,  is  the  Maine  Farmer  s  Almanac.  This 
famous  old  annual,  which  had  a  place  next  to  the  Bible  in  many 
of  the  homes  of  Maine,  was  issued  for  sixty  years  in  Hallowell. 
In  1880,  the  Farmer  s  Almanac  was  purchased  by  Charles  E. 
Nash,  and  has  since  been  printed  in  Augusta. 

''Uncle  Zekiel,"  however,  did  not  confine  his  literary  out- 
put to  his  own  publications,  but  imported  from  England  the 
best  books  of  the  time,  for  sale  at  his  store,  and  for  his 
circulating  library.  Thus  it  happened  that  on  one  never-to-be- 
forgotten  day,  a  big  new  pasteboard  placard  was  hung  out  at 
the  ''Sign  of  the  Bible"  which  bore  in  large  letters  this  inscrip- 
tion: "Guy  Mannering:  A  New  Novel  by  the  Author  of 
Waverley."  Can  we  imagine  the  days  when  this  book  was 
absolutely  new,  or  the  sensation  it  must  have  made  in  the 
literary  circles  of  this  old  town.? 

On  another  eventful  day,  the  front  of  the  store  was 
covered  with  placards  bearing  this  announcement:  "Childe 
Harold:  A  Poem  by  Lord  Byron."  In  181 1,  the  Musical 
Repertory  was  announced.  This  was  a  collection  of  ancient  and 
modern  songs,  beginning  with  "Ye  Mariners  of  England,"  and 
including  ballads  and  verses,  by  Tom  Moore,  Allan  Ramsay, 
Robert  Burns,  and  other  lyric  poets.  In  1819,  Mr.  Goodale 
opened  the  old  corner  bookstore,  at  Number  One,  Kennebec 
Row. 

Ezekiel  Goodale,  the  founder  of  the  publishing  business  in 
Hallowell,  was  born  in  West  Boylston,  Massachusetts,  in  1780. 
He  married  Betsey  Stone,  and  removed  to  Hallowell  in  1802. 
He  lived  at  first  in  an  unpretentious  house  on  Water  Street, 
but  later  built  the  typical  old-time  mansion  on  Chestnut  Street, 
afterwards  the  residence  of  Mr.  Thomas  Leigh,  and  now  occupied 
by  Mr.  Ben  Tenney.  In  1820,  Mr.  Franklin  Glazier  entered 
into  business  with  Mr.  Goodale.  Three  years  later  Andrew 
Masters  and  Justin  E.  Smith  were  taken  into  the  firm.  In 
1857,  Mr.  Glazier  retired,  and  Colonel  Danforth  P.  Livermore 
became  a  partner.  The  firm  was  continued  under  the  name  of 
Masters  and  Livermore  until  1 880. 

Each  of  the  men  in  this  long  succession  of  publishers  was 
a  prominent  and    eminently  worthy  citizen  of  Hallowell. 


Old  Backs  and  Newspapers 


247 


Franklin  Glazier,  born  in  Oakham,  Massachusetts,  was  the  son 
of  John  Glazier,  and  grandson  of  Jonathan  Glazier  who  served 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  The  mother  of  Franklin  Glazier 
was  Dorothy  Goodale,  sister  of  Ezekiel  Goodale,  and  a  de- 
scendant of  John  Goodale  who  settled  in  Salem  in  1634. 
Franklin  Glazier  married,  December  18,  1823,  Julia  Tarbox  of 
Gardiner.  Their  children  were  Franklin,  who  married  Emma 
Swan;  William  Belcher;  John;  Julia  Mary,  afterwards  Mrs. 
John  Russell;  Louise  Tarbox;  and  Eleanor  Lucy,  who  married 
the  Rev.  H.  R.  Howard,  and  now  resides  in  Manheim,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  Glazier  family  lived  in  a  spacious,  square,  old  house 
built  by  Thomas  Bond  on  Warren  Street.  The  house  was 
surrounded  by  extensive  grounds  shaded  by  fine  trees.  A 
large  willow-tree,  on  the  corner  of  the  front  lawn,  furnished  all 
the  children  in  the  neighborhood  with  wood  for  willow  whistles; 
and  the  whole  place  had  an  air  of  open  hospitality  which  was 
always  very  inviting.  Franklin  Glazier  was  highly  esteemed  as 
a  business  man  and  citizen  and,  with  his  interesting  family, 
occupied  a  prominent  social  position  in  Hallowell.  He  died 
June  9th,  1863. 

Justin  Ely  Smith  was  the  son  of  Stevens  Smith  of  Hal- 
lowell. He  was  born  June  18,  1807,  and  married,  November  13, 
1833,  Cornelia  Wetmore,  of  Whitesboro,  New  York.  Their  chil- 
dren, now  living,  are  Caroline,  who  married  William  Sprague; 
Amos  Robinson,  who  married  Carrie  E.  Freeman,  daughter  of 
John  and  Caroline  Page  Freeman;  and  Alice  Wetmore,  who 
married  Frederick  B.  Smith;  all  of  whom  now  reside  in  Chicago. 

Justin  E.  Smith  entered  the  bookstore  of  Goodale  and 
Glazier  as  a  clerk  at  the  age  of  thirteen.  At  twenty-one,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  firm.  He  was  recognized  as  one  of 
the  ablest  business  men  of  Hallowell,  and  as  an  accountant  and 
mathematician,  he  was  unequaled  by  any  of  1  his  fellow  towns- 
men. He  was  for  many  years  cashier  of  the  Northern  National 
Bank,  and  afterwards  president  of  the  Hallowell  Savings  Insti- 
tution. As  a  citizen  he  was  highly  esteemed  for  his  integrity, 
benevolence,  and  public  spirit. 

Colonel  Andrew  Masters  was  born  in  Exeter,  New 
Hampshire,  in  1794.    At  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  entered  a 


248 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


printing  office  and  served  a  faithful  apprenticeship  of  seven 
years.  Having  thus  laid  the  foundation  for  his  subsequent 
successful  career,  Colonel  Masters  came  to  Hallow^ell  in  1815, 
and  a  few  years  later,  entered  the  firm  of  Goodale  and  Glazier. 
For  sixty  years,  Colonel  Masters  was  active  in  all  the  details  of 
the  business  as  well  as  in  the  general  oversight  of  the  publish- 
ing departments;  and  to  his  fostering  care  the  maintenance  and 
success  of  the  famous  old  Hallowell  bookstore  and  publishing 
house  is  greatly  due.  At  the  time  of  his  death  in  1881,  he  was 
the  oldest  printer  and  publisher  in  the  State  of  Maine. 

In  private  life,  Colonel  Masters  was  greatly  beloved  and 
respected.  He  had  all  the  qualities  of  a  noble  manhood.  He 
was  a  faithful  friend,  a  cordial,  hospitable  neighbor,  a  generous, 
public-spirited  citizen.  He  married  October  14,  181 5,  Sarah  P. 
Livermore,  daughter  of  William  Livermore.  His  grandson, 
Mr.  Alonzo  Melvin,  has  written  some  interesting  sketches  of 
early  life  in  Hallowell. 

Colonel  Danforth  P.  Livermore,  was  not  only  an  active 
member  of  the  publishing  house  of  Masters  and  Livermore,  but 
was  also  one  of  the  pioneer  experts  in  telegraphy.  At  the  age 
of  eighty -one  he  was  the  oldest  living  telegrapher  in  active  service 
in  the  world.  He  had  been  manager  of  the  Hallowell  Tele- 
graph Office  since  1850,  and  had  trained  and  sent  into  service 
more  than  forty  skillful  operators.  When  Colonel  Livermore 
first  entered  the  Hallowell  office,  there  was  but  one  Maine  line 
stretching  from  Portland  to  Calais  with  a  branch  from  Augusta 
to  Bath,  and  the  average  number  of  messages  was  two  a  day. 
The  veteran  telegrapher  of  Maine,  therefore,  saw  during  his 
lifetime  a  marvelous  progress  in  the  science  of  telegraphy. 
Two  of  his  children  were  also  expert  telegraphers.  His  son, 
Mr.  Charles  D.  Livermore,  was  manager  of  the  Western  Union 
office  in  Portland  for  many  years ;  and  his  accomplished  daugh- 
ter. Miss  Emma  Livermore,  was  the  first  lady  operator  in  the 
world  to  send  a  telegram. 

Miss  Emma  Livermore  was  also  distinguished  for  her 
musical  ability.  She  was  an  exceptionally  fine  pianist  and 
accompanist,  and  possessed  by  nature  such  an  acute  and  sensi- 
tive musical  organization  that  even  reading  music  gave  her  the 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


249 


most  exquisite  pleasure.  The  death  of  Emma  Livermore  was 
the  occasion  of  profound  sorrow  to  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
Miss  Sarah  Livermore,  the  second  daughter,  married  Captain 
Charles  E.  Nash  who  rendered  honorable  service  to  his  country 
during  the  Civil  War,  and  afterwards  became  well  known  as  a 
publisher  and  local  historian. 

Colonel  and  Mrs.  Danforth  P.  Livermore  lived  to  celebrate 
the  sixtieth  anniversary  of  their  wedding  day,  which  was 
fittingly  commemorated  by  their  children  and  friends. 

The  publishing  business,  as  conducted  by  these  five  men 
from  1 81 3  to  1880,  was  at  times  of  extensive  proportions,  and 
was  far-reaching  in  its  influence.  It  has  been  stated  that,  at 
this  period,  ''no  place  in  Maine  ranked  with  Hallowell  as  the 
center  of  book  publishing,  or  in  the  spirit  of  its  literary  life." 
In  addition  to  the  imprints  already  mentioned,  this  house  pub- 
lished the  Maine  Reports,  the  Revised  Statutes,  and  many  law 
books;  also  many  school  books,  including  arithmetics,  geogra- 
phies, grammars,  music  books,  spelling  and  reading  books. 
They  published  Williamson's  History  of  Maine,  Eaton's 
Annals  of  Warren,  volumes  of  poems,  hundreds  of  pamphlets, 
and  a  great  variety  of  miscellaneous  books.  These  Hallowell 
publishers  enjoyed  an  enviable  reputation  throughout  the  State, 
and  the  *'old  corner  bookstore,"  in  Kennebec  Row,  had  more 
than  a  local  fame. 

So  enterprising  a  town  as  Hallowell  could  not  long  remain 
without  its  weekly  newspaper,  and,  on  August  4,  1794,  the 
Eastern  Star  arose  above  the  horizon,  and  although  its  orbit 
was  completed  in  one  short  year,  it  should  be  remembered  as 
the  first  of  a  series  of  greater  luminaries  that  have  never  since 
ceased  to  shed  their  light  upon  the  region  of  the  Kennebec. 

A  copy  of  this  ancient  newspaper,  dated  June  9,  1795,  lies 
before  me.  It  bears  this  announcement:  **rrinted  and  pub- 
lished at  the  Hook,  Hallowell,  (Mass.)  by  Howard  S.  Robinson 
at  nine  shillings  per  annum,  exclusive  of  postage,  where  useful 
Essays,  articles  of  Intelligence  etc.  etc.  are  thankfully  re- 
ceived." It  is  a  small  four-page  paper  with  the  name  of  "I. 
Nutter"  written  in  indelible  ink  upon  its  yellow  margin.  The 


250 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Eastern  Star  rose  and  set  with  due  regularity  for  about  a  year 
and  then  disappeared  from  the  Uterary  firmament  of  the  Hook. 
Its  motto,  at  least,  is  worthy  of  remembrance : 

"The  Public  Will,  Our  Guide— The  Public  Good,  Our  End." 

The  Eastern  Star  was  succeeded  by  the  Tocsin  which  was 
edited  and  published  by  Wait  and  Baker.  Copies  of  the  Tocsin 
issued  from  April  i6,  1796  to  June  9,  1797,  are  now  preserved  in  a 
bound  volume,  in  the  Hubbard  Free  Library  at  Hallowell. 
This  volume  of  old  newspapers  is  unique  and  valuable  as  a 
representative  publication  of  its  time.  The  Tocsin  is  also  most 
interesting  on  account  of  its  articles  on  foreign  and  home 
politics,  and  especially  for  the  light  it  casts  on  the  early  history 
of  Hallowell.  Its  columns  disclose  the  growth  and  progress  of 
the  town,  and  perpetuate  the  names  of  the  inhabitants  who 
were  prominently  identified  with  its  business  interests  at  this 
early  date.  In  an  announcement  appearing  September  30, 
1796,  the  editor,  "relying  on  the  aid  and  support  of  a  generous 
public,"  declares  himself  ready  to  use  his  utmost  endeavors  to 
give  the  paper  permanent  establishment  and  to  render  it 
"the  repository  of  intelligence  and  useful  information;"  and 
the  editor  is  convinced  that  if  his  paper  has  merits,"  it  will  rise 
in  the  estimation  of  the  public,  and  have  an  extensive  cir- 
culation— otherwise  it  will  sink,  where  it  ought,  into  oblivion." 

Far  be  it  from  us,  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Old  Hallowell, 
ever  to  let  the  Tocsin  sink  into  oblivion;  and  to  help,  in  some 
slight  degree,  in  sending  its  fame  down  to  posterity,  a  few 
extracts  from  the  columns  of  this  characteristic  old  New 
England  newspaper  are  here  reprinted. 

As  we  turn  the  leaves  of  the  Tocsin,  we  find  the  first 
three  pages  devoted  to  political  editorials,  foreign  and  domestic 
news,  interspersed  with  advertisements  and  local  notes.  The 
fourth  page,  which  was  doubtless  intended  to  appeal  to  "the 
literati  of  the  Hook,"  has  its  poet's  corner,  its  literary  and 
scientific  articles,  its  occasional  short  stories,  and  its  interest- 
ing or  amusing  anecdotes. 

Under  the  head  of  ''Late  Foreign  Intelligence,"  we  find 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


251 


the  news  from  England,  France,  Holland,  Spain,  and  Germany; 
and  the  exciting  military  operations  going  on  in  these  countries 
are  fully  described.  All  the  events  thus  commemorated  have 
now  passed  into  the  pages  of  history,  which  we  read  to-day  with 
a  passive  interest;  but  let  us  imagine,  if  we  can,  the  excitement 
which  these  stirring  reports  produced  when  the  news  arrived  at 
the  little  wide-awake  town  on  the  Kennebec.  Let  us  fancy 
ourselves  among  the  crowd  of  alert,  intelligent,  liberty-loving 
men  who  gather,  perchance,  at  the  stores  of  John  Sheppard, 
Joshua  Wingate,  and  Chandler  Robbins,  or  at  the  post-office 
kept  by  Nathaniel  Dummer,  to  discuss  the  latest  news  from 
Europe.  On  the  9th  of  September,  they  receive  the  foreign 
dispatches  sent  from  Milan  on  the  19th  of  the  previous  May. 
Perhaps  John  Sheppard  himself,  or  Preceptor  Woodman  of  the 
Academy,  reads  the  dramatic  story  aloud.    Let  us  also  listen: 

"On  the  14th,  General  Massena  entered  Milan  with  a  van- 
guard of  about  five  thousand.  The  city  sent  the  keys  forward 
to  meet  this  General  as  far  as  Lodi,  by  a  deputation  of  the 
General  Council  and  Archbishop.  On  his  entrance,  he  struck 
the  keys  together  as  a  token  of  joy.  The  next  day.  General 
Buonaparte  made  a  brilliant  entry.  Arrived  at  the  Roman  gate 
the  National  Guards  received  him  with  presented  arms,  and  the 
nobility  and  city  officers  paid  him  their  compliments  amidst  the 
applause  of  a  vast  crowd  of  spectators.  He  was  preceded  by  a 
large  detachment  of  infantry,  surrounded  by  a  guard  of  huz- 
zars,  and  followed  by  carriages  and  the  Milanese  National 
guards.  In  this  order  he  proceeded  to  his  residence  at  the 
Archducal  palace,  where  he  dismounted.  There  was  served  at 
the  palace  a  dinner  of  two  hundred  covers.  The  tree  of  liberty 
was  planted  in  front  of  the  palace  amidst  cries  of  Vive  la 
liberie!  Vive  la  republique !  The  day  finished  with  a  very 
elegant  ball,  at  which  a  number  of  ladies  appeared  with  ribbons 
of  the  French  national  colors."  / 

If  our  latter-day  souls  are  not  stirred  by  these  words,  let  us 
listen  to  the  proclamation  of  Buonaparte,  from  the  headquarters 
in  Milan,  to  his  ''Brethren  in  Arms:" 

"Soldiers:    You  are  precipitated  like  a  torrent  from  the 


252 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


heights  of  the  Appennines;  you  have  overthrown  and  dispersed 
all  that  opposed  your  march.  Piedmont,  rescued  from  Austrian 
tyranny,  is  left  to  its  natural  sentiments  of  regard  and  friend- 
ship to  the  French.  Milan  is  yours,  and  the  Republican 
standard  is  displayed  throughout  all  Lombardy.  The  dukes  of 
Parma  and  Modena  are  indebted  for  their  political  existence  to 
your  generosity.  .  .  .  The  vaunted  bulwarks  of  Italy  were 
insignificant.  You  swept  them  with  the  same  rapidity  that  you 
did  the  Appennines. 

"These  successes  have  carried  joy  into  the  bosom  of  your 
country.  Your  representatives  decreed  a  festival  dedicated 
to  your  victories.  .  .  .  Now,  your  fathers,  your  mothers, 
your  wives,  your  sisters,  your  sweethearts  will  rejoice  in  your 
success,  and  take  pride  in  their  relation  to  you.  Yes,  Soldiers, 
you  have  done  much,  but  more  remains  for  you  to  do.  Shall  it 
be  said  of  us  that  we  know  how  to  conquer,  but  not  to  profit  by 
our  victories?  Shall  posterity  reproach  us  with  having  found  a 
Capua  at  Lombardy.?  But  already  I  see  you  fly  to  arms,  to 
reestablish  the  Capitol,  to  rouse  the  Roman  people  entranced 
with  many  ages  of  slavery, — this  shall  be  the  fruit  of  your  vic- 
tories! You  will  again  be  restored  to  your  firesides  and  homes, 
and  your  fellow  citizens,  pointing  you  out  shall  say:  There 
goes  one  who  belonged  to  the  Army  of  Italy!" 

(Signed) 

BUONAPARTE." 

But  affairs  of  national  importance  at  home  are  not  over- 
looked in  the  Tocsin.  On  October  7,  1796,  appears  the 
Message  of  President  Washington  apprising  the  people  of  the 
United  States  that  he  declines  to  be  considered  among  the 
number  from  whom  the  choice  of  the  next  President  must  be 
made.  This  long  state  paper,  in  which  the  Father  of  his 
Country  plainly  stated  his  views  on  the  home  and  foreign 
policies  of  the  nation,  took  a  powerful  hold  upon  the  heads  and 
hearts  of  the  people;  and  was  evidently  read  and  discussed  by 
the  patriots  and  statesmen  of  the  Hook  and  Fort,  with  all  the 
earnestness  and  personal  interest  felt  by  the  men  of  that  day 
in  the  public  affairs  of  the  nation. 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


253 


Local  politics  also  have  a  prominent  place  in  the  columns 
of  the  Tocsin ;  and  candidates  for  the  office  of  electors  to  make 
choice  of  the  new  President  and  Vice-President  are  discussed  in 
letters  addressed  to  the  editor  of  the  paper.  These  letters  are 
signed,  "A  Plain  Man,"  Yeoman,"  "A   Civil  Man," 

"A  Veteran,"  "Clericus,"  *'A  Kindred  Spirit,"  and  '^Thou- 
sands."  They  are  written  with  a  vigor  and  asperity  quite 
comparable  with  similar  communications  to  the  press  at  the 
present  day. 

In  its  graphic  summary  of  the  political  situation  at  the 
close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  Tocsin  offers  the  following 

"Observations  on  the  Conduct  of  Different  Governments:" 


France  undertakes  all. 

England  endeavors  to  corrupt  all. 

The  King  of  Prussia  deserts  all. 

The  Emperor  takes  part  with  all. 

Denmark  bewares  of  all. 

Sweden  will  have  nothing  at  all. 

Turkey  wonders  at  all. 

The  Pope  is  afraid  of  all. 

Spain  is  about  to  try  all. 

Russia  balances  all. 

Holland  pays  all. 

America  receives  all. 

If  God  has  not  pity  on  all. 

The  Devil  will  take  all. 


To  the  lovers  of  poetry,  the  Tocsin  proffers  many  lyric 
gems,  among  which  are  the  "Seasons  of  Life,"  the  "Lamenta- 
tion for  Kosciusko,"  "Love  and  Philosophy,"  and  an  "Ode 
to  Night,"  and,  most  remarkable  of  all,  the  following  lines: 

SACRED  TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  THE  AMIABI.E  MISS 
BETSEY  WOOD. 

Th'  Almighty  spake!    pale  death  appear'd, 
Shook  his  cold  wings  and  sought  his  prey — 

When  lo!    from  heaven  a  voice  he  hear'd, 
Go,  fetch  the  lovely  nymph  away. 


254 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Again  the  voice  rehears'd  the  cry, 

"Laura's  too  pure  to  dwell  in  dust — 
"Quick,  snatch  her  to  her  native  sky, 

To  join  th'  assembly  of  the  just." 

Obedient  then  the  monarch  drew 

His  fatal  bow,  with  visage  keen — 
When  lo!    the  barbed  arrow  flew, 

And  sudden  pierced  the  beauteous  queen. 

The  fair  one  groan'd  but  to  expire, 

In  arms  of  mercy  was  forgiv'n — 
Then  mounted  on  the  Seraph's  fire 

She  sweetly  languished  into  heaven. 

PALMYRA. 

Hallowell,  May  i6,  1796. 

The  American  Advocate  was  founded  in  Hallowell  as  a 
"Democratic-Republican"  paper,  by  Nathaniel  Cheever,  in  1810. 
In  his  first  editorial,  Mr.  Cheever  announces  that  "political 
questions  will  be  discussed  in  the  spirit  and  temper  -  of  con- 
ciliation, consistent  with  independent  and  decided  opinion;  but 
as  scurrility,  invective,  and  personal  abuse  are  not  congenial  to 
this  spirit,  they  are  therefore  at  all  times  inadmissible." 

To  maintain  such  a  temper  as  this  must  have  been  quite  a 
difficult  task,  for  the  political  questions  of  the  day  were  consid- 
ered of  alarming  importance,  and  between  Federals  and  Re- 
publicans there  was  a  bitter  and  implacable  hostility.  Mr. 
Cheever,  however,  edited  the  Advocate  with  dignity  and  ability, 
while  its  rival  paper,  the  Hallowell  Gazette^  founded  in  1814, 
vigorously  expounded  the  doctrines  of  the  Federal  party. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Cheever  in  1819,  the  Advocate  was 
transferred  to  Samuel  K.  Oilman  who  published  the  paper  for 
six  years,  ably  guiding  his  party  through  the  critical  period 
preceding  the  separation  of  Maine  from  Massachusetts. 

The  enterprise  of  the  Advocate  in  placing  the  news  of  the 
day  before  the  public  is  illustrated  by  an  incident  which  occured 
while  Judge  Oilman  occupied  the  editorial  chair.  This  was  the 
time  when  Hallowell  was  practically  a  sea  port  town,  and  one 
day,  a  vessel  arrived,  with  an  important  piece  of  intelligence. 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


255 


directly  from  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Oilman  inserted  the  news  in 
the  Advocate,  just  as  its  columns  were  going  to  press,  and 
immediately  sent  copies  to  the  Boston  papers.  Thus  the  Bos- 
ton editors,  for  once,  at  least,  were  obliged  to  give  their  readers 
the  latest  national  intelligence,"  as  received  via  Hallowell  on 
the  Kennebec. 

It  is  rather  interesting  also  to  read  in  this  old  paper  that 
Daniel  Webster  had  just  delivered  an  oration  at  Plymouth,  on 
the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims; 
that  Wordsworth  had  recently  written  some  touching  lines  en- 
titled "We  Are  Seven;"  and  that  a  New  England  author  had 
published  a  new  poem  beginning,  *'01d  Grimes  is  dead." 

In  1825,  the  American  Advocate  was  sold  to  C.  Spaulding. 
This  paper  subsequently  passed  into  the  possession  of  S.  W. 
Robinson  and  Henry  K.  Baker.  In  1835,  it  was  united  with 
the  Free  Press  edited  by  Richard  D.  Rice. 

In  the  year  1814  the  famous  Hallowell  Gazette  was 
founded.  This  paper  was  published  for  a  little  more  than  a 
year  by  Goodale  and  Burton,  and  afterwards  by  Ezekiel 
Goodale.  The  Gazette  was  established  at  a  critical  period  in 
our  country's  history  when  party  spirit  was  very  strong.  In  its 
first  number  the  editor  announces  that  the  paper  ''will  be  con- 
ducted on  principles  truly  American,  of  the  old  Washington 
School,"  and  that  its  object  will  be  *'to  support  those  prin- 
ciples of  resistance  to  tyranny,  oppression,  and  unconstitutional 
invasion  of  the  rights  of  the  people,  which  produced  our 
glorious  Revolution,  and  those  federal  principles  of  government 
estabhshed  by  Washington  and  his  associates."  "The  situation 
of  the  country  is  perilous,"  asserts  the  Gazette,  "and  imposes 
an  imperious  duty  on  the  editor  which  he  will  fearlessly  dis- 
charge." / 

The  condition  of  affairs  in  Europe,  in  the  year  1814,  was 
even  more  exciting  than  in  our  own  country,  and  the  columns 
of  the  Hallowell  Gazette  fairly  bristle  with  foreign  news.  The 
defeat  of  Napoleon  is  announced  with  these  large  and  exultant 
headlines : 


256 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


JOY  TO  THE  WORLD!       GREAT  NEWS! 
NAPOLEON  THE  GREAT  IS  FALLEN! 

Bonaparte  dethroned. 
Complete  emancipation  and  peace  of  Europe. 

In  order  to  learn  the  actual  effect  which  this  news  had 
upon  the  people  of  Hallowell  and  what  were  the  sentiments  of 
some  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  town  whose  names  are 
familiar  to  us  all,  we  must  revive  the  records  of  the  great  public 
celebration  held  at  Washington  Hall  on  the  7th  of  June,  1814. 

*Tn  consequence  of  the  wonderful  and  glorious  events 
which  we  had  the  pleasure  to  announce  the  last  week,"  writes 
the  editor  of  the  Gazette,  "a  spontaneous  disposition  was 
exhibited  among  a  respectable  number  of  the  citizens  of  this 
town  to  give  a  public  expression  of  those  emotions  excited  by 
the  occasion."  The  leading  men  of  Hallowell  assembled  at 
Washington  Hall  where  a  banquet  was  served;  and  ''gratitude, 
sympathy,  and  heartfelt  pleasure  animated  every '  breast." 
Thomas  Bond,  Jr.,  presided,  and  the  following  toasts  were 
drank,  accompanied  by  music  and  the  roar  of  cannon : 

The  Memory  of  Washington. — Had  we  adhered  to  his  pre- 
cepts, not  one  tear  of  regret  would  mingle  with  our  cup  of 
rejoicing. 

The  Overthrow  of  Napoleon. — An  example  and  warning  to 
tyrants  and  conquerors. 

Louis  1 8th. — May  his  friendship  for  America  be  equal  to 
that  of  his  brother,  Louis  i6th.    By  Mr.  Jacob  Abbott. 

Governor  Strong. — The  venerable  patriot,  equal  to  every 
crisis,  the  favorite  ruler  of  the  independent  State  of  Massachu- 
setts. By  Thomas  Bond,  Jr. 

The  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  the  Cradle  of 
Liberty. — May  it  soon  become  the  Tomb  of  Democracy.  By 
Nathaniel  Perley,  Esq. 

American  Patriots. — None  are  "genuine"  but  those  that 
bear  the  "mark"  of  George  Washington.  By  Major  W.  H. 
Page, 


Old  Books  and  Newspapers 


257 


In  the  evening  a  large  reception  was  given  to  the  ladies 
and  citizens  generally  at  Washington  Hall  which  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  and  tastefully  decorated.  Excellent  music  added  to 
the  festivity  of  the  scene. 

The  young  men  of  Hallowell  were  no  less  patriotic  than 
their  fathers;  and  on  the  4th  of  July,  the  young  Washingtonian 
Republicans  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  the  declaration  of 
American  Independence,  "in  a  very  suitable  and  decent  man- 
ner." They  had  a  dinner  served  in  a  very  handsomely 
decorated  room  and  Master  John  Gow,  son  of  Deacon  Gow, 
presided.  The  toasts  prepared  by  these  youthful  Federals  were 
not  lacking  in  wit,  nor  in  a  decided  expression  of  the  principles 
of  their  party;  and  we  are  glad  to  be  assured  that  "their 
correct  and  orderly  conduct  was  highly  applauded." 

On  the  following  4th  of  July,  181 5,  the  day  was  celebrated 
at  Hallowell  by  the  Washington  Benevolent  Society  of  Ken- 
nebec, and  an  eloquent  oration  was  "pronounced"  by  William 
C.  Wilde,  a  young  man  twenty-three  years  of  age,  the  oldest 
son  of  Judge  Samuel  S.  Wilde. 

When  the  first  number  of  the  Kennebecker  appeared  in 
June  1829  the  Portland  Advertiser  md.diQ  this  comment: 

"We  like  the  name.  Let  us  render  our  own  soil  classical; 
and  not  go  in  search  of  Olympuses  and  Parnassuses  in  another 
world." 

The  Kennebecker  edited  by  Henry  K.  Baker,  evidently  did 
its  best  to  live  up  to  this  advice.  This  publication  has  more 
the  appearance  of  a  primitive  magazine  than  of  the  weekly 
newspaper.  Its  tone  is  literary,  and  its  contents  consist  largely 
of  essays,  original  and  selected,  and  a  generous  quota  of  poetry. 
The  domestic  and  foreign  news  of  the  day,  although  not 
omitted,  is  relegated  to  small  type  and  no  space  is  wasted  in 
headlines.  One  brief  extract  from  the  columns  of  the  Kenne, 
becker  in  regard  to  the  writers  of  the  time  shows  that  the 
modern  wail  over  the  decadence  of  literature  is  not  without 
precedent. 

"The  literature  of  the  day  appears  to  be  fast  degenerating. 
Vigor  and  originality  are  the  rarest  qualities  in  the  poetry  and 


258 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


prose  of  the  times,  except  common  sense.  Willis,  who  was 
deeply  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  poesy,  has  taken  to  writing 
coxcombial  rhymes  for  the  newspapers.  To  read  his  doggerel, 
one  would  think  he  lounged  about  Cornhill  in  'pink  cravat'  and 
stays,  went  to  church  with  a  smelling  bottle,  wrote  with  a  crow 
quill,  and  left  his  tailor's  bills  unpaid.  It  is  a  pity  so  promising 
a  poet  should  be  so  easily  spoiled.  Bryant  and  Brooks  have 
quit  the  service  of  the  muse  for  the  Jackson  party.  Percival 
has  just  been  delivered  of  Webster's  Dictionary;  Halleck, 
Peabody,  and  G.  Mellen  are  too  idle  or  too  busy  for  poetry; 
Pierpont,  Sprague,  and  Flint  have  their  hands  full  with  writing 
dedication  hymns;  Longfellow  is  in  Italy;  Pinckney  is  dead; 
Irving  rests  from  his  labors  with  a  comfortable  office;  Cooper  is 
writing  for  John  Bull;  Paulding,  and  a  host  of  lesser  stars, 
suffer  partial  eclipse.  The  ladies  only  are  trying  to  be  useful. 
.  .  .  Pray  Heaven  the  curse  of  effeminacy  is  not  coming 
upon  us  as  a  nation. " 

The  next  newspaper  established  in  Hallowell  was  Maine 
Cultivator  and  Weekly  Gazette^  the  first  issue  of  which 
appeared  September  28th,  1839.  This  paper  was  published  by 
T.  W.  Newman  and  R.  G.  Lincoln,  and  was  edited  for  two 
years  by  William  A.  Drew.  It  was  especially  devoted  to 
"Agriculture  and  the  Mechanic  Arts,"  but  contained  the  usual 
interesting  miscellaneous  reading  demanded  by  a  weekly  family 
papier.  In  the  year  1845,  Mr.  E.  Rowell,  became  connected 
with  Mr.  Newman  in  the  publication  of  the  Maine  Cutivatof 
and  Weekly  Gazette,  In  1850,  the  name  was  reversed  and  the 
paper  was  called  The  Hallowell  Gazette  and  Maine  Cultivator. 
Three  years  later  the  second  name  was  dropped  and  the 
publication  appeared  with  the  name  of  its  early  and  notable 
predecessor.  The  Hallowell  Gazette.  This  able  and  interest- 
ing old  paper,  with  which  all  of  the  old  residents  of  Hallowell 
were  familiar,  was  successively  published  by  Mr.  E.  Rowell,  Mr. 
Charles  E.  Nash,  until  1869,  and  for  two  years  longer  by  Mr. 
Henry  Chase.    Its  last  issue  appeared  in  December,  1871. 

A  complete  file  of  these  old  Hallowell  newspapers  from 
1 810  to  1 871  is  now  preserved  in  the  Hubbard  Free  Library. 


XVI 

THE  HARMONIC  SOCIETY,  THE  THEATER,  AND 
THE  LYCEUM 

"The  heritage  of  Hallowell  is  rich  indeed." 

— Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson. 

^■BI^HE  early  residents  of  Hallowell  were  not  only 
/  'l  lovers  of  literature,  but  lovers  of  music;  and  the  god- 
\y  dess  of  the  * 'divine  art"  here  found  a  shrine  in  many 
homes.  In  the  households  of  the  Vaughans  and  the 
Merricks,  music  formed  a  part  of  the  every-day  life  of  the 
family.  The  best  instructors  were  employed,  and  the  young 
people  had  lessons  on  the  piano,  the  violin,  and  the  flute.  Mr. 
John  Merrick  had  received  a  thorough  musical  education  in 
England.  He  possessed  a  very  sweet  and  highly  cultivated 
tenor  voice,  and  was  a  cultured  musical  critic.  Miss  Harriet 
Vaughan,  daughter  of  Charles  Vaughan,  was  an  accomplished 
pianist  and  a  fine  singer.  Mrs.  John  Sheppard,  who  had  been 
educated  in  France,  also  did  much  to  stimulate  the  study  and 
appreciation  of  good  music  in  Hallowell.  The  Abbotts  came  of 
musical  ancestry,  and  the  children  of  Jacob  and  Harriet 
Vaughan  Abbott  had  thus  a  double  inheritance  of  musical 
talent.  The  Pages  were  also  rarely  gifted;  and  the  melody  of 
John  O.  Page's  rich  bass  voice  lingered  long  in  the  ears  of  the 
church-goers  at  the  Old  South.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Dole  Kimball, 
Miss  Hannah  Dole,  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Barrett  were  notable 
soloists  in  their  day.  John  Merrick,  Paul  Stickney,  Franklin 
A.  Day,  and  Samuel  Tenney  were  famous  choir  leaders;  and 
the  Livermores,  Moodys,  Drews,  Samuel  Locke,  and,  in  later 
years.  Major  Rowell  and  Dr.  John  Quincy  Adams  Hawes, 
contributed  much  to  the  musical  reputation  of  the  town. 

This  wealth  of  musical  talent  naturally  found  its  first  public 
expression  in  church  music ;  and  the  choirs  of  Hallowell  were 
famous  for  excellent  singing.    The  Old  South  was,  of  course, 


26o 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  first  to  make  a  name  for  itself  in  this  respect.  Under  the 
successive  leadership  of  John  Merrick,  Paul  Stickney,  and 
Samuel  Tenney,  the  choirs  of  this  church  attained  a  degree  of 
proficiency  and  culture  comparable  with  that  of  any  leading 
New  England  church.  A  little  later,  the  choir  of  the  Univer- 
salist  church  attained  celebrity  under  the  leadership  of  Franklin 
A.  Day,  and  Allen  Drew.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Decker,  daughter  of 
the  famous  old-time  singer,  Master  Samuel  Locke,  and  her 
two  daughters,  Mrs.  Maria  Boyd  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hubbard, 
were  favorite  soloists  of  the  Universalist  choir,  and  con- 
tributed to  its  fame. 

Music  in  Hallowell  reached  the  height  of  its  development 
in  the  thirties  and  forties;  and  it  has  been  conceded,  by  local 
authorities,  that  at  this  time,  Hallowell,  in  musical  culture,  was 
fifty  years  ahead  of  any  other  place  in  Maine. 

It  was  at  this  period  (1832),  that  the  famous  Hallowell 
Harmonic  Society  was  founded.  This  society  was  organized 
and  most  successfully  conducted  under  the  leadership  of  Paul 
Stickney,  a  man  eminently  qualified  for  such  an  office.  One  of 
Mr.  Stickney's  pupils  once  said  of  him:  "What  he  did  not 
know  about  music  was  not  worth  knowing."  Mr.  Stickney  was 
a  leader  of  stern  temperament,  and  most  exact  in  all  his 
instruction.  In  the  chorus  he  sang  an  obligato^  or  treble  with 
the  lady  singers.  At  the  recitals  of  the  society,  the  organ  was 
played  by  Miss  Elizabeth  Cheever.  Some  of  the  prominent 
members  were:  Miss  Elizabeth  Dole,  one  of  the  finest  alto 
singers  of  Hallowell;  Mr.  Alex  Jones,  who  had  a  remarkable 
tenor  voice;  Mr.  John  Stickney,  an  excellent  bass  singer;  Mr. 
John  D.  Lord;  and  Colonel  Livermore. 

The  singers  were  supported  by  an  excellent  orchestra. 
Wendenberg,  a  German  musician,  played  the  first  violin.  Mr. 
Charles  Vaughan,  the  violoncello;  Mr.  Frank  Day,  the  double 
bass;  Horace  Waters  of  Augusta,  the  second  violin;  and  Allen 
Drew  led  the  alto  with  an  E^  clarionet.  This  society  gave  many 
"grand  sacred  concerts."  A  few  old  printed  programmes, 
still  extant,  are  of  interest.  At  one  of  these  concerts,  in 
1833,  the  "Harmonic"  rendered  the  "Chorus  from  Judas  Mac- 
cabaeus"  and  selections  from  Handel;  in  1834,  its  programme 


The  Hallowell  Theater 


included  Beethoven's  ^'Hallelujah  to  the  Father,"  "Awake  the 
Harp,"  from  Haydn's  "Creation,"  and  Gloria  in  Excelsis  by 
Pergolesi.  In  1836,  the  Harmonic  Society  announced  its 
sixth  oratorio  consisting  of  selections  from  Haydn's  "Creation." 

It  is  sad  to  record,  however,  that  even  in  music-loving 
Hallowell,  the  allurements  of  social  life  sometimes  diminished 
the  size  of  the  audience  at  these  classical  concerts ;  and  that 
"owing  to  the  great  number  of  balls  and  parties,"  the  oratorio 
of  the  Hallowell  Harmonic,  in  1836,  was  not  so  well  attended  as 
was  desirable,  "although  there  were  as  many  present,  consider- 
ing all  the  circumstances,  as  could  have  been  expected."  But 
notwithstanding  this  occasional  lack  of  public  appreciation, 
the  Hallowell  Harmonic  Society  exercised  great  influence  in 
the  musical  circles  of  Maine,  and,  by  the  introduction  of 
classical  compositions  and  the  famous  oratorios,  familiarized  the 
people  of  the  Kennebec  valley  with  this  class  of  music  to  an 
extent  unknown  elsewhere  in  Maine. 

Old  Hallowell  was  also  favored  with  some  excellent  dramatic 
as  well  as  musical  entertainments.  In  1819,  a  theater  was  built 
and  opened  on  Hinckley's  Plains  and  sustained  for  several 
years  by  the  "Boston  Company  of  Comedians."  The  reper- 
tory of  this  company  consisted  of  the  standard  dramas  of  the  day, 
including  Shakespearean  plays  and  first-class  comedies.  The 
cast  consisted  of  such  actors  as  Warren,  Williams,  Barrett,. 
Karnock,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powell,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pelby,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bray,  Mrs.  Barnes,  Miss  Clark,  and  others.  Mr.  Bray  was 
at  that  time  unrivaled  as  a  comic  actor;  Mrs.  Bray  was  a 
charming  actress.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pelby  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Powell  shared  the  honors  in  the  leading  parts.  Mr.  Barrett  was 
then  a  tall  and  handsome  youth  and  was  a  great  favorite  on  the 
Hallowell  stage.  Mr.  Ostinelli,  who  led  thfe  orchestra,  was  a 
violinist  then  unequaled  in  this  country,  and  who  played  only 
music  of  the  highest  order.  He  was  very  jealous  of  his  repu- 
tation as  a  violinist  and  was  very  angry  if  called  a  "fiddler." 
He  refused  to  play  for  dancing,  and  when  importuned  to  do  so 
by  a  lady  of  social  influence,  he  deliberately  cut  the  strings  of 


262 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


his  violin  and  said,  with  his  blandest  smile  and  most  polite  bow, 
"Very  sorry,  very  sorry,  Madame, — you  see  I  can  no  play." 

The  members  of  this  dramatic  company  were  men  and 
women  of  irreproachable  character  who  were  received  in  the 
best  society  in  the  place ;  and  their  performances  at  the  theater 
on  Hinckley's  Plains  were  attended  by  the  elite  of  Hallowell, 
Augusta,  and  Gardiner. 

The  playbills  of  the  Boston  Company  of  Comedians  for 
the  season  of  1823 — ''positively  for  twelve  nights  only," — 
afforded  very  attractive  programmes.  Among  the  most  popu- 
lar plays  presented  on  the  Hallowell  stage  were  a  much  admired 
melodrama  entitled,  ''Blue  Beard  or  Female  Curiosity;" 
"Warlock  of  the  Glen,"  with  a  Scotch  dance  by  Mrs.  Bray 
and  Miss  Clark;  "Romeo  and  Juliet,"  introducing  "a  masquer- 
ade dance  by  the  characters,"  and  "a  funeral  dirge  at  the 
tomb  of  the  Capulets;"  and  a  grand  romantic  spectacle  called  the 
"Forty  Thieves,"  with  splendid  scenery,  machinery,  dresses,  and 
decorations,  as  performed  at  all  the  English  and  American 
theaters  with  great  success. 

The  idea  of  the  instruction  and  entertainment  of  the 
people  by  public  lectures  manifests  itself  very  early  in  the 
history  of  Hallowell.  Local  talent  was  soon  enlisted  in  this  work 
and  the  scientific,  literary,  and  professional  men  of  the  town 
generously  contributed  of  their  time  and  talent  to  the  support 
of  this  commendable  undertaking.  Notable  men  from  abroad 
were  also  invited  to  address  the  Hallowell  people  and  always 
found  appreciative  audiences.  On  September  26,  1832,  William 
Lloyd  Garrison  lectured  in  the  Old  South  meeting-house  on 
"Slavery."  He  afterwards  remarked  that  the  people  stared  at 
him  as  though  he  had  "half-a-dozen  heads  and  as  many  horns." 

About  1840,  the  political  interests  of  the  country  began  to 
absorb  the  attention  of  the  people  and  the  Lyceum  declined, 
but  in  1849,  ^  i^sw  organization  was  formed,  which  brought  to 
Hallowell  not  only  the  ablest  speakers  of  Maine,  but  of  New 
England.  The  first  lecture  of  the  Lyceum  was  on  "  Popular 
Governments,"  by  Professor  Champlin  of  Waterville  College; 


The  Hallowell  Lyceum 


263 


the  second  was  by  Rev.  Charles  F.  Allen,  of  Augusta.  These 
lectures  were  followed,  in  the  course,  by  a  poem:  "Our 
Childhood's  Home,"  which  was  *'an  able  and  elegant  affair," 
written  and  delivered  by  Mr.  William  B.  Glazier,  of  Hallowell. 
**The  poem  abounded  in  language  of  chasteness  and  beauty, 
deep  feeling  and  pathos,  presented  in  all  the  richness  of  perfect 
rhythm,  with  clear  enunciation  and  a  delivery  of  ease  and 
gracefulness."  Other  lectures  by  Maine  orators  were  "The 
Poetry  of  Robert  Burns,"  by  William  P.  Drew,  "The  French 
Revolution,"  by  John  L.  Stevens,  and  a  poem,  "The  Golden 
Calf,"  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Pierpont. 

The  most  memorable  course  of  lectures  given  under  the 
auspices  of  this  Lyceum  was  that  of  the  year  1853.  Some  of 
the  lecturers  of  this  year  were  Wendell  Phillips,  John  G. 
Saxe,  George  W.  Curtis,  W.  R.  Alger,  Henry  Giles,  Oliver 
Wendell  Holmes,  Professor  R.  D.  Hitchcock  of  Bowdoin, 
Professor  George  Shepard  of  Bangor,  Richard  H.  Dana,  Jr., 
Mr.  Chickering,  Rev.  John  S.  C.  Abbott,  Ralph  Waldo 
Emerson,  and  Lucy  Stone.  "The  rush  to  the  Lyceum,  this 
season,"  as  recorded  in  \}s\^  Hallowell  Gazette,  was  "beyond  all 
former  precedent."  It  was  "almost  impossible  to  secure  a 
desirable  seat  without  going  long  before  the  time  of  commence- 
ment." 

"Mr.  John  G.  Saxe"  writes  an  old  citizen,  "was  a  fine 
fresh-looking  man,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye,  who  made  us  all 
merry  by  his  funny  ways."  "Mr.  George  W.  Curtis"  said 
the  editor  of  the  Gazette,  "is  one  of  the  finest  speakers  we  ever 
heard,  and  his  subject.  Young  America,  was  treated  as  only  a 
master  mind  could  treat  it."  Lucy  Stone  also  called  out  one  of 
the  largest  audiences  ever  packed  into  the  old  Town  Hall. 
Three  lectures  were  given  by  this  famous  woman  lecturer,  in 
Hallowell,  during  one  week.  Her  subjects  w^re  "The  Political 
and  Legal  Disabilities  of  Woman,"  and  the  "Bible  View 
of  Woman's  Rights."  It  is  recorded  that  "Miss  Stone  ap- 
peared before  the  audience  in  modest  apparel  and  conducted  the 
discussion  with  womanly  grace  and  dignity." 

The  press  and  the  people  were  not,  however,  indiscriminate 
in  their  criticisms  of  the  lecturers;  and  some  of  their  comments 


264 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


are  interesting  at  the  present  day.  Of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chick- 
ering's  lecture  on  "Switzerland,"  the  Gazette  remarks:  "Mr. 
C.  gave  an  interesting  account  of  a  Swiss  tour  among  the 
glaciers,  mountains,  and  valleys  of  classic  Switzerland,  but 
the  subject  was  too  chilly  for  a  midwinter's  evening,  and  the 
words  of  the  speaker  seemed  to  fall  with  icy  frigidity  upon 
the  chattering  audience." 

Concerning  Professor  Hitchcock's  very  learned  lecture  on 
the  "Origin  of  the  Various  Races  of  Mankind,"  one  good 
lady  remarked  on  her  way  home,  "Oh,  it  was  charming,  excel- 
lent, but — I  couldn't  understand  it,  could  you?" 

Of  Richard  Henry  Dana's  lecture,  the  Kennebecker  wrote 
as  follows: 

"It  was  announced  that  Richard  Henry  Dana,  Jr.,  was 
engaged  to  lecture.  The  citizens  turned  out  en  masse  to 
hear  Dana  for  they  felt  just  as  sure  that  he  would  tell  them 
something  about  the  sea,  from  his  experience,  as  though  he  had 
told  them  so.  No  one  presumed  to  ask  another  what  they 
thought  the  subject  would  be.  Judge  of  our  disappointment 
when  a  rather  stiff-looking  man,  claw  hammer  coat,  trouser- 
loons  sheeted  home  at  the  heels,  and  flying  jibboom  boots,  with 
a  grafftopsail  hat  in  his  hand  (these  are  the  sailor  terms  for  a 
dress  suit),  was  introduced  and  announced  the  subject  of  his 
lecture,  *The  Life  of  Edmund  Burke!'  What  did  we  care 
about  Edmund  Burke.?  We  all  had  read  all  we  wished  to  know 
about  him;  and  probably  one-half  the  audience  knew  as  much 
about  him  as  the  lecturer.  We  wished  to  hear  a  professional 
sailor  tell  us  of  the  sea,  of  the  men,  and  the  things  of  the  sea. 
We  were  all  very  much  disappointed." 

The  public  lecture  courses  continued  to  flourish  until  the 
time  of  the  Civil  War  when  the  loyal  citizens  of  Hallowell  con- 
centrated all  their  thoughts  and  efforts  upon  patriotic  work  and 
the  vital  interests  of  the  nation. 


/ 


XVII 


SOCIAL  LIFE  OF  OLD  HALLOWELL 

**Our  fathers  fostered  those  good  manners  which  are  good  morals." 

— Rev.  Henry  Vaughan  Emmons. 

ST  IS  undoubtedly  true  that  the  sons  and  daughters  of 
Old  Hallowell  now  idealize,  to  some  degree,  the  place 
that  is  so  often  designated  as  *'the  dear  old  town;"  and 
so,  lest  the  pen  of  the  present  writer  be  dipped  in  the 
tints  of  the  rose,  lest  the  picture  of  the  social  life  of  old  Hal- 
lowell, seen  through  the  far  perspective,  be  over-colored  with 
the  glow  of  imagination,  the  testimony  of  a  few  contemporary 
records,  writ  in  the  good  old  indelible  India  ink  of  our  fore- 
fathers, is  here  offered  to  the  reader. 

The  Hon.  William  Allen,  an  old  and  highly  esteemed 
citizen  of  Norridgewock,  writes  in  his  reminiscenses  of  Now 
and  Then^  "It  was  my  good  fortune  to  reside  in  Hallowell  in 
the  time  of  its  greatest  prosperity  when  its  reputation  for 
integrity  and  veracity,  good  habits,  intelligence,  industry,  and 
civility  was  of  a  higher  grade  than  that  of  any  other  place  within 
my  knowledge."  The  Hon.  George  H.  Sheppard,  who  spent 
his  boyhood  in  Hallowell,  states  that  this  town  'though  border- 
ing on  the  frontier  settlements  was  then  the  seat  of  more  wealth 
and  culture  than  any  other  point  of  Maine,  except,  perhaps, 
Portland;"  and  John  Ward  Dean,  A.  M.,  of  Boston  tells  us 
that  "there  was  here  a  state  of  society  having  characteristics 
that  can  never  be  reproduced." 

It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  to  all  students  of  the  his- 
tory of  Hallowell  that,  in  addition  to  the  abov^  brief  statements, 
there  still  exist  descriptions  of  the  social  life  of  the  town 
written  by  those  who  could  truly  say:  "All  of  which  I  saw  and 
a  part  of  which  I  was."  These  descriptions  give  to  us  a  charm- 
ing and  undeniably  truthful  picture  of  the  olden  days.  It  is 
with  pleasure  that  I  transcribe  these  old  papers  hoping  that  the 


266 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


story  our  fathers  have  told  us  will  find  a  place  in  the  memory 
of  a  new  generation  of  readers. 

One  vivid  picture  of  social  life  in  Hallowell  in  the  early 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century  is  given  to  us  by  Hallowell' s 
famous  old  story-teller,  the  Rev.  John  H.  In  graham. 

"In  that  day,"  said  Mr.  Ingraham,  ''people  were  more 
hospitable  and  social  than  in  our  modern  times.  If  then  a 
gentleman  came  down  from  Boston  to  visit  for  a  few  days 
some  family,  a  party  was  at  once  got  on  foot  to  do  him  honor. 
Invitations  would  be  sent  to  all  genteel  families  within  thirty 
miles  of  Hallowell,  from  Old  General  Chandler's  in  Monmouth, 
round  by  the  Howards  and  Conys  to  Augusta,  to  the  Litbgows, 
and  others  at  Dresden  and  Wiscasset,  and  so  over  to  the  Kings 
at  Bath,  and  to  the  Stanwoods  at  Brunswick.  Everybody  came 
that  was  invited.  No  weather  kept  them  back,  and  in  those 
days  the  rivers  were  unbridged,  and  sometimes  the  lively  guests 
would  drive  a  dozen  miles  around  to  get  to  a  ferry.  If  it  were 
winter,  so  much  the  better ;  for  if  the  river  were  f roz.en  they 
could  make  a  good  sleighing  frolic  of  the  ride  home  and  back. 
Snow  five  feet  deep  was  no  obstruction  to  these  joyous  party- 
goers.  Then,  when  they  reached  the  mansion  where  the  party 
was  to  be  given,  they  would  find  the  house  brightly  lighted  up, 
every  room  glowing,  fifty  sleighs  standing  around  it,  the  horses 
all  covered  with  bear  skins  and  blankets,  for  buffaloes  were  then 
very  rare.  At  the  door  one  or  two  well  dressed  servants, 
(often  in  livery^  too,  dear  reader!)  would  take  their  smoking 
horses  by  the  head,  and  the  master  of  the  house,  forewarned  by 
the  jingling  sleigh-bells,  would  step  out  to  receive  his  guests 
bareheaded,  fearless  of  the  frosty  air,  his  hair  powdered,  his 
knee  and  shoe  buckles  glittering,  and  his  face  covered  with 
smiles.  With  old-fashioned  politeness,  he  would  assist  the  lady 
from  her  sleigh,  hand  her  in  to  the  wardrobe  woman  who 
would  hurry  her  past  the  glittering  drawing  rooms  to  a  warm 
back  apartment,  there  to  disrobe;  while  her  husband  after  a 
hearty  shake  of  the  hand  would  be  conducted  to  another 
for  the  same  purpose  by  the  gentleman,  who,  before  the  new- 
comer had  time  to  throw  aside  his  overcoat,  would  lead  him  to 
a  sideboard  and  make  him  take  half  a  tumbler  of  hot  brandy 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallow  ell 


267 


toddy  which  was  kept  constantly  hot  and  mixed  by  a  white- 
headed  old  negro  in  attendance.  Then  a  nice  glass  of  toddy 
was  sent  in  to  the  lady  in  the  disrobing  room,  and  usually  came 
back  emptied!  Those  days  of  *old  times'  were  not  exactly 
temperance  times. 

"Then  when  they  entered  the  rooms  they  found  everybody 
dancing,  on  the  very  tiptoe  of  hilarious  enjoyment.  There  was 
no  waltzing;  dances  of  that  character  were  then  unknown,  but 
minuets  and  contra  dances  (called  then  country  dances)  were  in 
vogue.  By  and  by  there  was  a  movement  into  one  of  the  rear 
or  perhaps  an  upper  room  where  a  long  table  was  set  out,  laden 
with  every  sort  of  a  delicacy  from  a  roast  pig  and  a  roast  turkey 
to  a  barberry  tart.  Wines  and  strong  waters  sparkled  red  and 
amber  in  the  rich  decanters,  and  for  the  old  folks  there  were 
pitchers  of  nice  cider.  Everybody  was  suited  and  everybody 
enjoyed  themselves.  The  minister  was  always  there!  They 
used  to  have  but  one  minister  in  those  primitive  days !  And  his 
venerable  head  is  still  among  us  to  bless  us !  He  always  asked 
a  blessing,  (or  rather  made  a  prayer  as  was  the  custom)  before 
they  began  to  demolish  the  fair  show  upon  the  board. 

**After  the  feast  they  returned  to  dancing,  which,  when 
they  were  tired  of  it,  was  changed  for  games,  such  as  'Button, 
Button,  Who's  Got  the  Button,'  'Hunt  the  Slipper,'  and  *Blind- 
man's-Buff.'  They  usually  wound  up  with  'Oats,  Peas,  Beans, 
and  Barley  O':  but  not  before  the  day  began  to  dawn !  Then 
such  a  general  bundling  up  and  bundling  into  sleighs;  such 
leave-takings  screamed  out  and  shouted  from  male  and  female 
voices;  such  jingling  of  bells  was  never  heard  except  on  like 
occasions  when  the  next  parties  came  off.  Those  who  lived  on 
the  same  road  usually  stopped  to  start  together  and  so  they 
went  off  in  various  parties  and  always  in  high  glee. 

"Sometimes  a  heavy  snow  storm  would^'  come  on  in  the 
night  and  before  the  morning  the  roads  would  be  so  blocked  up 
as  to  become  impassable.  Such  an  event  was  always  a  source 
of  great  satisfaction  to  the  hospitable  host  of  that  day ;  as  he 
foresaw  a  continuance,  at  least,  of  the  party  for  two  or  three 
days  longer.  One  party  that  had  assembled  at  General 
C  -'s  [Chandler's],  at  Monmouth,  was  thus  detained  three 


268 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


days;  and  the  spirit  of  joyous  misrule  reigned  for  three  days 
within  the  walls  of  that  hospitable  mansion.  Day  and  night 
King  Frolic  had  full  ascendancy.  The  negro  fiddler  fairly 
broke  down,  and  the  gentlemen  who  were  amateurs^  resolving 
not  to  give  it  up  so,  took  the  fiddles  and  kept  up  the  merrimient. 

"Those  were  days  of  the  Olden  Time  I  And  since  then  times 
have  changed!  In  all  this  frolicking  there  was  no  lack  of 
courteous  bearing.  The  gentlemen  of  that  day  were,  in 
manners,  models  that  we  might  imitate;  for  courtly  manners 
have  sadly  fallen  av/ay.  The  ladies,  too,  were  stately  and 
beautiful,  and  although  they  went  in  hand  and  foot  for  frolic,, 
they  knew  when  to  be  dignified.  Do  we  not  now  bear  witness 
to  this  when  we  speak  of  one  and  say  he  is  a  'gentleman  of  the 
old  school,'  or  of  a  lady,  'she  is  one  of  the  old  school  dames?"* 

Mr.  Ingraham  in  this  sketch  of  the  old-time  hospitality  on 
the  Kennebec  does  not  give  us  the  name  of  his  typical  host; 
but  Mr.  John  H.  Sheppard  introduces  us  personally  to  the 
master  of  the  Vaughan  mansion,  and  describes  him  as  "a  man 
of  taste,  fortune,  and  birth,"  who  possessed  the  "courtly  man- 
ners of  the  most  polished  gentleman  of  the  old  school."  "No 
stranger,"  writes  Mr.  Sheppard,  "ever  visited  Hallowell  without 
letters  to  him,  and  none  went  away  without  loving  him." 

"Hallowell,  at  this  period,"  writes  Mr.  Sheppard,  "though 
small  in  population  was  a  remarkable  village.  No  town  in 
Maine  could  boast  of  a  more  select  and  charming  circle.  .  .  . 
Many  fine  families  related  to  each  other  had  emigrated  there. 
Among  Dr.  Vaughan's  connections,  were  his  brother  Charles 
and  Mr.  Merrick,  who  dwelt  near  him.  And  there  was  Judge 
Chandler  Robbins,  with  whom  Count  Talleyrand,  when  a  visitor 
at  Hallowell,  made  his  home ;  and  truly  the  Judge  kept  up  the 
best  appearance,  and  hospitably  entertained  strangers  with  the 
smallest  resources  of  any  man  I  ever  saw.  There  were  the 
Dummer  and  Moody  and  Perley  families,  of  kindred  and  ancient 
descent  from  the  settlers  of  New  England;  and  the  Pages, 
Wingates,  and  others  which  might  be  named,  with  the  Rev. 
Eliphalet  Gillet,  D.  D.,  the  pastor;  all  of  whom  are  gone. 
Nor  was  there  a  more  charming  family  than  Mr.  Wilde's,  after- 
wards our  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court.    They  all 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallowell 


269 


contributed  to  make  this  woodland  spot  a  central  point  of 
attraction  by  elevating  the  moral  and  intellectual  tone  of  the 
life.  These  social  enjoyments  were  increased  in  the  short  and 
joyous  summer,  when  boating  parties  resorted  to  the  ocean, 
allured  by  the  cool  breezes  and  lovely  islands  of  the  eastern 
seashore;  or  under  the  cold  blue  skies  of  winter,  when  its 
charms  drew  forth  fleets  of  sleighs  in  which  the  gaiety  of  the 
country  ballroom  was  sought,  as  the  merry  bells  resounded 
through  wood  and  dale." 

To  the  names  here  mentioned  should  be  added  those  of  the 
Abbotts,  Cheevers,  Ingrahams,  Doles,  Agrys,  Bonds,  Spragues, 
Gilmans,  and  other  families  who  formed  a  constituent  part  of 
the  social  life  of  Hallowell. 

The  home  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Page  was  especially  character- 
ized by  its  hospitality,  and  its  doors  were  always  open  to  the 
young  people  of  the  town.  It  was  here  that  the  youthful 
literati  of  Hallowell  held  their  meeting  on  the  memorable  even- 
ing when  the  song  of  the  Blue  Stocking  Chib  first  saw  the  light. 
This  poem  was  written  by  Miss  Elizabeth  Peabody,  a  sister  of 
Mrs.  Hawthorne  and  of  Mrs.  Horace  Mann,  who  spent  a  season 
in  Hallowell,  in  1824.  The  verses  were  shown  a  few  years  ago 
to  Miss  Peabody,  who  had  forgotten  their  existence,  but  who 
well  remembered  the  brilliant  circle  of  young  people  that  formed 
the  Blue  Stocking  Club. 


THE  BIvUB  STOCKING  CI.UB 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night  ? 

Grave  and  gay,  engaged  and  free, 
All  that  kneel  to  beauty  bright, 

All  that  worship  mirth  and  glee ; 
Some  the  learned  page  to  scan, 

Some  perchance  to  listen  too, 
Some  for  conquering  hearts  to  plan, 


Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages,  ' 
Are  going — gone  to  Dr.  Page's. 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night? 

A  gay  assemblage  will  be  there : 
Vaughan  with  glowing  beauty  bright, 

Happy  heart  and  joyous  air. 


Some  the  pincushions  to  sew; 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


The  elder  Merrick  gently  grave, 
And  Mary,  silent,  full  of  feeling; 

And  Gillet  skilled  on  love  to  rave 
Every  rising  thought  revealing; 

Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages. 

Going — gone  to  Dr.  Page's. 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night? 

Brown  and  Perley  in  the  ties 
Of  cronyism  bound  so  tight, 

There  will  dash  in  fashion's  guise; 
Cox  with  fascinating  air. 

Conquering  hearts  with  every  glance, 
With  looks  and  manners  debonair, 

Glowing  cheeks  and  eyes  askance; 
Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages. 
Going — gone  to  Dr.  Page's. 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night? 

Norris,  Agry,  sweetly  clad  ; 
The  Farrells,  both  perhaps  in  white, 

Perchance  in  Carolina  plaid  ; 
All  the  Pages  too,  of  course, 

Julia,  Harriet,  Fraziette ; 
So  many  names  are  there  perhaps 

Some  the  prophet  may  forget; 
Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages, 
Going — gone  to  Dr.  Page's. 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night? 

Messrs.  Flagg  and  Balch  are  going, 
William  Stickney,  Moore  and  Dwight; 

All  the  tide  of  fashion  flowing ; 
And  with  leaders  of  the  ton, 

Haggard  students  from  their  cells, 
Lombard,  Otis,  Robinson, 

To  sport  a  season  with  the  Belles; 
Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages, 
Going — gone  to  Dr.  Page's. 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night? 

*Tis  certain  you  may  be  amused  ; 
In  some  corner  you  may  light. 

Where  some  neighbors  are  abused  ; 
If  'tis  not  in  your  vein,  pass  by ; 

Some  choice  spirits  still  are  there. 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallow  ell 


271 


And  by  the  power  of  sympathy 

You  may  soon  discover  where ; 
For  Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages, 
All  are  going  to  Dr.  Page's. 

Wend  you  with  the  Blues  to-night  ? 

See  the  moon  is  brightly  beaming, 
Creation  now  is  clad  in  light. 

Propitious  to  the  lover's  dreaming; 
I/Cave  behind  your  toil  and  care, 

Ivcave  behind  your  musty  law? 
Go  where  mirth  and  beauty  are  ; 

What  should  you  look  gravely  for  ? 
Youths  and  Misses  divers  ages, 
Haste  ye  !  haste  to  Dr.  Page's. 


This  clever  poem  was  a  parody  on  some  verses,  by  a  writer 
in  Washington,  entitled  Mrs.  Adams'  Ball  which  contained  the 
suggestive  lines : 


Miss  Peabody,  the  author  of  the  parody,  was  a  talented  but 
somewhat  eccentric  woman.  She  was  a  school-teacher  in  her 
youth,  and  did  much  to  introduce  the  kindergarten  methods  in 
America.  In  her  after  years,  she  became  famous  as  a  writer, 
and  as  a  lecturer  in  the  Concord  School  of  Philosophy.  She 
was  a  friend  of  the  Alcotts,  Emersons,  and  Channings,  and  a 
member  of  the  '^inner  circle  of  the  Transcendentalists." 

A  glimpse  of  informal  neighborly  intercourse  between  the 
families  of  our  old  town  is  given  to  us  by  the  Rev.  John  S.  C. 
Abbott,  who  spent  his  youth  in  Hallowell. 

"Hallowell"  writes  Mr.  Abbott,  *'was  a  social  place. 
There  were  many  parties.    The  simple  entertainment  of  tea, 


assisted  by  her  hired  help.  There  was  neither  dancing  nor 
card-playing.  There  was  sufficient  culture  with  both  gentle- 
men and  ladies,  for  them  to  enjoy  a  couple  of  hours  of  conver- 
sation. Our  parlor,  with  its  floor  painted  yellow,  with  its 
bookcase,  tall  mahogany  clock,  shining  brass  andirons,  and 


"Belles  and  matrons,  maids  and  madams, 
All  are  gone  to  Mrs.  Adams." 


coffee,  and  cake,  was  prepared 


house 


272 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


truly  splendid  fire  of  rock  maple  blazing  on  the  hearth,  and 
lighted  with  mold  candles,  presented  to  my  mind  a  picture 
of  elegance  which  was  not  surpassed  in  subsequent  years  by  the 
splendors  of  the  saloons  of  the  Tuileries  blazing  with  their 
myriads  of  wax  lights.  These  parties  almost  invariably  broke 
up  at  about  nine  o'clock,  and  at  ten  all  the  candles  were  blown 
out." 

Another  very  charming  picture  of  home  life  in  Hallowell 
may  be  found  in  a  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Charles  Bulfinch, 
the  wife  of  the  famous  Boston  architect,  while  she  was  a  guest 
in  the  home  of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Charles  Vaughan,  at  "Sunset 
Farm." 

Hallowell,  June  29th  [1830] 
*'We  have  been  comfortably  settled  in  this  most  pleasant 
place  about  6  days,  and  as  you  will  readily  believe  delightfully 
to  myself.  We  have  found  our  good  friends  well  and  their 
place  highly  improved ;  indeed,  let  us  look  where  we  will,  the 
handsome  white  buildings  on  the  cultivated  hills  meet  our  eye 
between  Hallowell  and  Augusta.  .  .  .  How  should  you 
like  to  have  me  tell  you  the  manner  in  which  we  pass  our  quiet 
day.?  I  will,  as  I  have  no  news  to  write,  and  this  may  interest 
you.  In  the  morning  after  our  breakfast,  we  go  into  another 
parlor,  and  Charles  V.  reads  a  chapter  in  the  Bible,  when  we 
all  kneel  and  your  Uncle  reads  a  prayer ;  we  then  rise  and  walk 
about  to  admire  the  prospect,  the  Chaise  is  soon  at  the  door 
and  Charles  and  a  young  lady  who  boards  here  and  keeps  the 
infant  school,  ride  a  mile  to  the  village.  I  retire  to  my  room 
and  your  father  and  Uncle  walk  out  for  a  stroll.  Your  Aunt 
and  Cousin  H.  F.  and  myself  sit  down  to  our  needle.  We  dine 
at  I  o'clock,  afterwards  find  our  needle  or  book  or  pen  a  re- 
source for  an  hour  or  two,  when  if  we  wish  to  ride  or  walk  we 
can  do  it,  as  there  are  two  chaises  to  be  had.  After  tea 
we  have  music,  and  here  I  find  great  indulgence  to  my  fond- 
ness for  this  lovely  art.  Charles  plays  readily  and  sweetly  on 
the  flute  and  bass  viol.  H.  F.  sings  finely,  accompanying  her 
Piano;  Miss  Turner  also  sings — and  so  harmoniously  do  we  go 
on,  that  10  o'clock  comes  ere  we  can  think  how  time  has  sped 


Xfi 
H 

u 

o 

O  " 

^  rsi 
>  w 

5  ^ 

c!  - 

O 

W 


JO 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallow  ell 


273 


along.  After  this,  Uncle  calls  us  to  prayers,  and  we  end  the 
calm  day  as  we  began  it."  ^ 

Nor  were  the  children  forgotten  in  the  social  life  of  these 
old  days.  "Our  mothers,"  writes  Mr.  Abbott,  "often  got  up 
parties  for  us  little  children,  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
twelve.  We  went  at  six  and  left  at  nine.  My  father  would  not 
only  join  with  us  in  playing  'Hunt  the  Slipper'  and  'Blind- 
man's-Buff,'  but  with  his  bass  viol  would  play  for  our  tiny  feet 
over  the  floor  in  what  we  called  a  dance.  Sometimes  one  of 
the  older  boys  would  favor  us  with  the  music  of  the  flute.".  .  .  . 

"The  mothers"  adds  Mr.  Abbott,  "who  dressed  the  little 
girls  so  prettily,  gave  them  their  parties,  made  the  cake, 
brought  out  the  almost  sacred  cups  and  saucers  of  'china,'  and 
joined  in  the  sports  around  the  glowing  rock-maple  fire  were 
loved  by  us  children  with  an  affection  which  can  never  die." 

The  "young  ladies  and  gentlemen"  of  these  old  days, 
also  had  a  generous  share  in  the  social  life  of  the  town,  and 
occasionally  a  "party"  would  be  given  for  the  young  people  that 
would  now  be  considered  a  "most  brilliant  social  event." 

A  description  of  a  "splendid  ball"  given  in  the  Warren 
mansion  in  honor  of  the  daughter  of  the  house.  Miss  Anne 
Warren,  still  exists  in  a  letter  written  by  a  little  girl  of  twelve 
years  who  was  present  on  this  grand  occasion.  The  writer  was 
"little  Mary  Merrick."  The  letter,  of  which  an  exact  copy 
is  here  transcribed,  gives  us,  not  only  a  picture  of  the  "splendid 
ball,"  but  a  glimpse  into  the  ingenuous  child-nature  of  the 
writer. 

Hallowell  October  25th  1823. 

Dear  Mother, 

As  Mr.  Dustin  is  going  to  Philadelphia  on 
Monday  I  think  it  is  a  very  good  opportunity  to  write  to  you 
and  although  I  have  not  much  to  say  I  will  communicate  what 
little  I  have. 

Uncle  leaves  us  on  Monday  for  Boston  I  do  not  know  how 
long  he  will  stay  I  believe  it  is  uncertain. 

Since  I  wrote  last  I  have  been  to  another  Ball  where  there 


^  Charles  Bulfinck,  Architect,  p.  273-274. 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallow  ell 


273 


along.  After  this,  Uncle  calls  us  to  prayers,  and  we  end  the 
calm  day  as  we  began  it."  ^ 

Nor  were  the  children  forgotten  in  the  social  life  of  these 
old  days.  "Our  mothers,"  writes  Mr.  Abbott,  "often  got  up 
parties  for  us  little  children,  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
twelve.  We  went  at  six  and  left  at  nine.  My  father  would  not 
only  join  with  us  in  playing  'Hunt  the  Slipper'  and  'Blind- 
man's-Buff,'  but  with  his  bass  viol  would  play  for  our  tiny  feet 
over  the  floor  in  what  we  called  a  dance.  Sometimes  one  of 
the  older  boys  would  favor  us  with  the  music  of  the  flute.".  .  .  . 

"The  mothers"  adds  Mr.  Abbott,  "who  dressed  the  little 
girls  so  prettily,  gave  them  their  parties,  made  the  cake, 
brought  out  the  almost  sacred  cups  and  saucers  of  *  china,'  and 
joined  in  the  sports  around  the  glowing  rock-maple  fire  were 
loved  by  us  children  with  an  affection  which  can  never  die." 

The  "young  ladies  and  gentlemen"  of  these  old  days, 
also  had  a  generous  share  in  the  social  life  of  the  town,  and 
occasionally  a  "party"  would  be  given  for  the  young  people  that 
would  now  be  considered  a  "most  brilliant  social  event." 

A  description  of  a  "splendid  ball"  given  in  the  Warren 
mansion  in  honor  of  the  daughter  of  the  house.  Miss  Anne 
Warren,  still  exists  in  a  letter  written  by  a  little  girl  of  twelve 
years  who  was  present  on  this  grand  occasion.  The  writer  was 
"little  Mary  Merrick."  The  letter,  of  which  an  exact  copy 
is  here  transcribed,  gives  us,  not  only  a  picture  of  the  "splendid 
ball,"  but  a  glimpse  into  the  ingenuous  child-nature  of  the 
writer. 

Hallowell  October  25th  1823. 

Dear  Mother, 

As  Mr.  Dustin  is  going  to  Philadelphia  on 
Monday  I  think  it  is  a  very  good  opportunity  to  write  to  you 
and  although  I  have  not  much  to  say  I  will  communicate  what 
little  I  have. 

Uncle  leaves  us  on  Monday  for  Boston  I  do  not  know  how 
long  he  will  stay  I  believe  it  is  uncertain. 

Since  I  wrote  last  I  have  been  to  another  Ball  where  there 

^  Charles  Bulfinch,  Architect,  p.  273-274. 


274 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


was  upwards  of  a  hundred;  I  suppose  after  what  I  said  in  my 
last  letter  you  will  think  it  rather  curious  my  going  to  this  ball, 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  not  to  be  disappointed  if  H  did  not  let 
me  go,  but  she  said  it  was  something  out  of  the  common  way 
&  I  might  go,  accordingly  I  prepared  myself  &  left  home  about 
a  quarter  before  7,  quite  fashionable. 

We  did  not  go  to  tea,  but  I  forgot  to  say  this  splendid  ball 
was  given  by  Miss  Anne  Warren,  there  were  two  parlors  which 
opened  into  one  by  means  of  Folding  doors,  when  I  went  in 
there  were  about  50  young  ladies  and  gentlemen,  after  we  had 
been  1-2  hour  the  folding  doors  were  thrown  open  &  we  were 
desired  to  walk  into  the  other  parlour,  where  the  carpet  had 
been  previously  taken  up,  the  other  carpet  was  speedily  re- 
moved &  we  commenced  dancing  to  the  sound  of  a  violen  & 
clarionet,  we  danced  till  1-2  past  nine,  when  we  were  marched 
up  stairs  into  a  room  where  there  was  a  very  splendid  supper 
set  out  after  supper  coffee  was  handed  round,  we  then  went 
down  stairs  &  again  commenced  dancing,  I  got  home  at  1-2 
past  II. 

I  believe  I  have  not  any  more  to  say,  therefore  with  love  to 
Brother  from  whom  I  hope  soon  to  hear,  I  must  say  Adieu, 

and  remain 

your  affectionate  daughter 
Mary 

P.  S.    I  send  you  a  drawing  of  Miss  Warren's  supper  table. 

Before  me,  as  I  write,  lies  the  drawing  of  "Miss  Warren's 
Supper  Table"  made  by  the  hand  of  "little  Mary  Merrick,"  in 
the  year  1823.  The  paper  is  yellow  with  age;  but  the  lines  and 
dots  are  perfectly  distinct.  The  drawing  represents  a  very 
long  table  with  an  oval  projection  midway  on  either  side.  In 
the  middle  of  the  table  was  a  glass  filled  with  flowers  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  circle  of  wax  candles.  Around  the  border  of  the 
table  were  plates  for  over  a  hundred  guests.  The  dots  in  the 
row  next  to  the  plates  indicate  "tumblers,"  and  the  tiny 
circlets  next  the  tumblers  were  "whips  or  custards."  On  right 
and  left  of  the  center-piece  were  "iced  plum  cakes  ornamented 
with  flowers;"  on  the  other  two  sides  were  "dishes  of  triffle.*' 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hal  low  ell 


275 


At  one  end  of  the  table  was  a  ham;  at  the  other  a  turkey,  and 
at  either  side  a  large  platter  containing  tongues."  Two 
"silver  baskets  full  of  cake,  four  puddings,  ornamented  almonds, 
four  dishes  of  different  sweetmeats,"  with  apples,  pears, 
peaches,  and  raisins,  completed  the  feast. 

A  photographic  copy  of  this  quaint  old  drawing  made  by 
little  Mary  Merrick,  will  help  us  to  keep  in  mind,  not  only 
an  exact  idea  of  "Miss  Warren's  very  splendid  supper,"  but 
a  picture  of  the  hospitality  lavished  even  upon  the  young 
people  in  Old  Hallo  well. 

The  Warren  house  in  which  this  entertainment  was  given 
was  a  spacious  mansion  built  by  Hon.  Ebenezer  T.  Warren.  It 
had  been  the  scene  of  a  very  sumptuous  "house-warming"  a 
few  weeks  before  the  party  of  Miss  Anne  took  place,  and  was 
ever  afterwards  renowned  for  its  hospitality. 

It  is  also  of  interest  here  to  note  that  Miss  Anne  Warren, 
the  hostess  of  this  party,  was  herself  only  a  child  twelve  years 
old;  and  we  can  imagine  no  prettier  picture  in  the  social 
life  of  Old  Hallowell  than  that  of  this  young  hostess  and  her 
guests,  as  they  went  up  and  down  the  beautiful  winding  stair- 
way of  the  Warren  mansion.  This  stairway  itself  might  have 
served  as  a  model  for  Burne-Jones  when  he  painted  his  famous 
picture  of  the  Golden  Stair;"  and  if  the  fair  maidens  of  Old 
Hallowell,  in  their  simply  flowing  gowns,  had  only  gone 
barefoot  to  Miss  Anne  Warren's  party,  instead  of  wearing  their 
dainty  morocco  or  satin  slippers,  they  might  fittingly  have 
passed  for  the  exquisite  vision  that  inspired  the  soul  of  the 
painter. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Hallowell  was  the  center  of 
hospitality  and  of  the  social  life  on  the  Kennebec,  but  there 
were  also  many  wealthy  and  cultured  families  in  Augusta, 
Gardiner,  Pittston,  and  Dresden,  who  entertained  very  freely 
and  interchanged  hospitalities  in  a  delightful  manner.  In 
Augusta,  still  lived  the  Howards,  the  Norths,  the  Conys,  the 
Bridges,  the  Fullers,  and  the  Williams  families;  and  while  the 
men  of  these  families  were  noted  for  their  position  and  in- 
fluence in  public  and  political  life,  the  ladies  of  their  house- 


276 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


holds  were  none  the  less  famous  for  their  personal  charms  and 
gracious  hospitality.  They  still  represented  the  characteristic 
manners  and  social  customs  of  Old  Hallowell  of  which  they 
were  once  a  part. 

A  few  pleasant  tributes  to  these  grand  dames  of  yore  have 
been  left  on  record.  *'Madame  North,"  it  is  said,  ''was  a  lady 
of  the  old  school.  She  had  a  good  person,  a  cultivated 
mind,  dignified  and  graceful  manners,  and,  being  remarkable  for 
her  powers  of  conversation,  was  the  delight  of  the  social  circle. 
Her  sprightly  and  spirited  remarks,  in  tones  that  were  music 
to  the  ear,  were  particularly  pleasant  and  animating.  Under 
her  direction  the  home  of  the  Norths  was  the  seat  of  elegant 
hospitality." 

Mrs.  Susanna  Cony,  the  wife  of  Judge  Daniel  Cony,  was  a 
woman  whose  innate  goodness,  wide  sympathies,  and  large- 
hearted  kindliness  took  in  an  extensive  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances,  by  whom  she  was  greatly  beloved.  Her 
portrait  is  expressive  of  her  character.  Fortunate  were  those 
of  our  foremothers  who  enjoyed  her  friendship  and  social 
companionship. 

But  among  all  the  women  of  the  Kennebec  valley,  none 
were  more  noted  for  their  hospitality  than  Mrs.  Zilpha 
Ingraham  Williams,  the  wife  of  Lieutenant  Seth  Williams. 
With  her,  hospitality  became  a  ruling  passion;  and  in  her  later 
years,  her  generosity  was  such  that  no  visitor  was  ever 
permitted  to  leave  her  door  without  a  farewell  gift.  This  love 
of  giving  at  last  predominated  to  such  an  extent  that  books, 
pictures,  bric-a-brac,  or  family  heirlooms,  were  cordially  be- 
stowed upon  the  departing  guest;  and  it  became  generally 
understood  by  the  family  friends  that  all  gifts  bestowed  by  the 
dear  kindly  hands  should  be  gratefully  accepted,  and  as  con- 
siderately left  in  the  front  hall  to  serve  the  generous-hearted 
hostess  on  another  day. 

Mrs.  Eliza  Fuller,  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Zilpha  Ingraham 
Williams,  inherited  her  mother's  benevolent  and  hospitable 
disposition,  and  the  doors  of  the  fine  old  colonial  mansion  in 
which  she  dwelt  were  always  open  to  the  guest.  Mrs.  Fuller, 
however,  was  not  content  to  serve  merely  as  hostess  in  her  own 


Hon.  ReueIv  Wili^iams 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallow  ell 


277 


house,  but  carried  her  benevolent  ministries  into  the  homes  of 
others,  where,  in  joy  or  sorrow,  in  sickness  or  health,  in 
prosperity  or  misfortune,  she  was  always  a  welcome  friend. 
Her  long  life  was  one  of  kindliness,  charity,  and  unfailing 
friendship. 

In  1832,  Mrs.  Daniel  Williams,  the  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
James  Bridge,  went  as  a  bride  to  the  fine  old  Williams  house  on 
Myrtle  Street.  She  was  then  young  and  beautiful,  and  her 
home  was  one  of  the  most  attractive  in  the  social  circles  of  the 
Kennebec.  Many  tributes  to  the  charms  of  Mrs.  Williams 
might  be  quoted ;  but  the  story  of  the  spontaneous  compliment 
of  a  gallant  Southerner  is  of  especial  interest  because  it  was  as 
sincere  as  it  was  unpremeditated.  The  scene  of  the  incident  is 
laid  in  a  hotel  parlor  in  Boston,  where  the  Hon.  John  Otis  of 
Hallowell  and  a  gentleman  from  the  South  once  chanced  to  be 
sitting  together,  engaged  in  a  spirited  discussion  as  to  the  com- 
parative beauty  and  personal  attractions  of  the  women  of  the 
North  and  South.  The  Southerner  wagered  a  basket  of 
champagne  that  Mr.  Otis  could  not  prove  his  assertion  that  the 
women  of  the  North  fully  equalled  those  of  the  South  in  beauty 
of  face,  grace  of  figure,  and  charm  of  manner.  Mr.  Otis 
accepted  the  challenge.  Just  at  that  moment,  Mrs.  Daniel 
Williams  of  Augusta  entered  the  room.  Mr.  Otis,  who  was 
acquainted  with  Mrs.  Williams,  asked  permission  to  present  his 
friend.  After  a  few  minutes  of  conversation,  Mrs.  Williams 
arose  and  took  her  departure.  As  she  passed  out  of  the  room, 
the  Southern  gentleman  gazed  after  her  with  admiring  eyes^ 
and  then  said:  "Mr.  Otis,  you  need  not  trouble  to  order  that 
champagne." 

The  most  elegant  old-time  residence  in  Augusta  was  that 
of  the  Hon.  Reuel  Williams  who,  about  1809,  purchased  the 
mansion,  built  by  Colonel  Arthur  Lithgow.  This  house  still 
retains  its  fine  old-time  characteristics,  chief  among  which  is  the 
beautiful  octagon  room,  with  its  antique  furnishings,  and  its  curi- 
ous Parisian  wall-paper  on  which  is  pictured  a  series  of  mar- 
velous tropical  scenes  portraying  the  wonderful  adventures  of 
that  doughty  old  hero.  Captain  Cook.  Mrs.  Reuel  Williams,  the 
mistress  of  the  mansion,  was  the  daughter  of  Judge  Daniel  and 


278  Old  Hallo  we II  on  the  Kennebec 

Susanna  Cony.  She  was  a  very  handsome  woman  of  impos- 
ing presence  and  stately  mien.  She  had  seen  much  of  society 
at  the  national  Capitol,  while  her  husband  was  a  member  of  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  she  was  a  brilliant  and  charming 
hostess  in  her  own  home,  where  many  distinguished  guests, 
including  President  Polk  and  James  Buchanan,  Secretary  of 
State,  were  hospitably  entertained. 

On  one  occasion,  however,  a  delightful  dinner-party  was 
given  at  the  Williams  mansion  without  the  presence  of  its 
distinguished  hostess,  who  at  the  time  of  its  occurrence  chanced 
to  be  away  from  home.  A  letter  describing  this  formal  and 
elegant  dinner-party  is  still  extant,  an  extract  from  which  is 
here  given  as  an  illustration  of  the  old-time  social  life  on  the 
Kennebec. 

This  letter  was  written  by  the  Hon.  Joseph  H.  Williams, 
son  of  Hon.  Reuel  Williams,  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Helen  A. 
Oilman  of  Portland,  on  June  28,  1839. 

*'  It  seems  that  Mr.  Forsyth  [then  Secretary  of  State], 
arrived  at  Gardiner  last  week  and  has  made  his  abode  at  Mr. 
Gardiner's.  Father  was  invited  to  dine  at  Mr.  Gardiner's  on 
Tuesday  at  three  o'clock  to  meet  him,  but  Mr.  Forsyth  was  not 
able  to  be  at  the  table.  Yesterday  Father  gave  his  dinner 
party.  I  suppose  you  will  want  to  know  all  about  i'^.  First  I 
will  tell  you  who  were  present.  Grandfather  Cony  with  his 
Hancock  gown.  General  John  Chandler,  Mr.  Jones,  Mr. 
Richards,  Governor  F.  [Fairfield],  Dr.  Nourse,  Judge  Fuller, 
Major  Ripley,  General  Thompson,  and  James  Bridge.  Of 
course  we  were  all  disappointed  in  not  seeing  Mr.  Forsyth. 
He,  however,  sent  a  very  civil  note  with  apologies.  Our  dinner 
went  off  well.  First,  soup,  (calves  head),  which  was  very  well 
flavored  and  rich.  Second,  boiled  salmon  and  broiled  ditto. 
Third,  most  delicious  boiled  mutton  of  the  true  John  Pinkham 
stamp;  and  roast  lamb  with  green  peas  (from  Boston).  Then 
the  cloth  was  removed.  (Wine,  of  course,  all  this  time).  Next 
came  the  pastry  which  was  some  of  Aunt  Martha's  best.  I 
can't  name  the  varieties,  but  there  were  lots  of  puddings 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallowell  279 

and  pies.  Next  the  dessert  made  up  of  strawberries,  cherries, 
ice  cream,  figs  and  apples,  and  the  usual  varieties  of  dry  fruit. 
Stewart  was  the  factotum  and  managed  his  department  very 
acceptably.  Jane,  Zilpha,  and  Ann  were  the  ladies.  The 
gentlemen  were  all  very  agreeable,  and  I  know  had  a  good  time. 
I  had  Richards  on  my  left,  and  found  him  a  clever  fellow  with- 
out starch.  Father  took  great  interest  in  getting  up  the  whole 
affair,  directed  as  to  everything,  down  to  the  number  of  table 
cloths,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  seats  at  the  table.  He  sat 
not  at  the  head  or  foot  of  the  table,  as  that  was  not  genteel, 
but  at  the  side,  in  the  middle,  and  Jane  opposite." 


This  memorable  dinner  was  served  in  the  grand  octagon 
room  of  the  Williams  mansion.  The  "Hancock  gown,"  in 
which  ''Grandfather  Cony"  appeared,  was  a  green  brocaded 
silk  coat  that  had  been  previously  worn  by  the  honorable  Judge 
when  a  guest  at  the  state-dinners  of  Governor  Hancock  in 
Boston.  The  ladies  present  at  the  table,  were  the  three 
charming  daughters  of  the  house,  Jane,  who  was  afterwards  the 
wife  of  Rev.  Sylvester  Judd;  Zilpha,  who  married  John 
Cutler,  Esq.,  and  who  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Zilpha  Ingraham 
Smith,  the  present  hostess  of  the  Williams  mansion ;  and  Ann, 
the  youngest  daughter,  who  occupied  the  family  residence 
until  her  death  in  1907. 

Another  home  on  the  Kennebec  where  a  generous  and 
delightful  hospitality  was  constantly  dispensed  was  that  of  Mr. 
James  Dumaresq  on  Swan  Island.  Mr.  James  Dumaresq 
inherited  an  old  colonial  house  built  by  his  maternal  grand- 
father. Dr.  Silvester  Gardiner.  This  house  was  located  in  a 
most  picturesque  spot  on  the  upper  shore  o^  the  island.  It 
was  surrounded  by  magnificent  old  trees  and  commanded  a 
fine  view  of  the  river.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Dumaresq  were  a 
delightful  host  and  hostess.  Mrs.  Dumaresq  was  very  hand- 
some, tall,  and  of  a  most  delicate  complexion.  Her  daughter. 
Miss  Jane  Frances  Rebecca  Dumaresq,  was  known  as  the 
**Beauty  of  the  Kennebec."    It  is  said  of  her  that  "she  was  as 


28o 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


brave  as  she  was  beautiful  and  as  courteous  and  gentle  as  a  long" 
line  of  ancestors  of  DeCarterets  and  Dumaresqs  could  make  her." 

Mr.  Dumaresq  has  been  described  by  one  who  knew 
him  as  "a  man  of  charming  address  and  polished  manners, 
a  good  musician,  a  true  lover  of  poetry  and  the  English 
classics,  and  a  keen  sportsman.  He  was  a  warm  friend  of  Mr. 
John  Sheppard  of  Hallowell,  with  whom  he  had  many  tastes  in 
common.  In  a  letter  to  Augustus  T.  Perkins,  Esq.,  Mr. 
Sheppard  writes:  *'The  house  of  Mr.  Dumaresq  was  the 
abode  of  hospitality.  I  used  to  visit  there  with  my  father 
almost  as  early  as  I  can  recollect.  We  went  down  in  summer 
in  our  sail-boat,  and  sometimes  made  only  a  call  or  an  excursion 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec.  .  .  .  When  a  student  at  law 
in  Wilde  and  Bond's  office,  on  a  summer's  day,  I  remember 
paddling  my  birch  canoe  along  the  shore  to  Swan  Island ;  and 
in  the  winter  season,  one  afternoon,  Mr.  P.  (Page),  since  a 
noted  merchant,  and  myself  skated  down  to  your  grand- 
father's, drank  tea  with  him,  and  then  hurried  home  on  account 
of  the  air  holes  in  the  ice — a  distance  of  sixteen  miles  in  one 
hour  and  a  half."  Mr.  Dumaresq  used  often  to  visit  the 
Sheppards  in  the  old  red  house  that  stood  in  the  bend  of  the 
river  just  below  Bombahook  Point;  and  frequently  made  much 
longer  journeys  in  these  neighborly  visits,  for  "it  was  the 
custom  at  Kennebec  in  the  winter  of  those  congenial  days  for 
parties  living  in  distant  towns  often  many  miles  from  each 
other,  to  visit  their  friends  in  flocks  and  sometimes  pass  the 
night." 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Dumaresq  was  Mr.  Farwell  of  Vassal- 
borough.  "A  sleighing  party  to  his  house,"  writes  Mr. 
Sheppard,  "and  a  return  after  tea  from  Augusta  on  the  ice  are 
fresh  in  my  mind,  for  our  parents  often  took  their  children 
with  them.  It  was  one  of  those  splendid  winter  nights  so 
peculiar  to  Maine;  when  the  blue  starry  heavens  above,  and 
the  white  drapery  of  the  snow  below,  increased  the  charm  of 
such  an  excursion.  A  sleighride  of  sixteen  miles  to  Swan 
Island  was  but  the  pastime  of  an  evening." 

"At  Pittston,  there  was  a  white  cottage  near  the  head  of  a 
leafy  avenue,  musical  with  birds.    It  was  the  summer  retreat 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallowell  281 

of  the  venerable  Robert  Hallowell,  Esq.,  ^  of  Boston,  a  great 
friend  of  my  father.  We  often  went  down  there  to  dine  on 
pleasant  Sundays  after  attending  the  Episcopal  church  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river.  On  the  opposite  shore  in  Gardiner 
near  the  ferry,  once  stood  a  yellow  one  story  and  a  half  house 
where  General  Dearborn,  secretary  of  war  under  Jackson, 
resided." 

Just  below  Gardiner  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river  stood 
the  home  of  Robert  H.  Gardiner,  built  in  1809.  This  was  not 
the  picturesque  stone  manor-house  of  to-day,  but  was  a  large, 
commodious  dwelling  presided  over  by  a  delightful  host.  In 
regard  to  this  residence  of  Robert  H.  Gardiner,  Bishop 
Burgess  writes:  "For  twenty-three  years,  spacious  as  it  was, 
its  chambers  were  crowded  with  the  succession  of  inmates  and 
guests,  whom,  in  addition  to  his  own  immediate  household  he 
always  loved  to  gather  within  the  circle  of  his  domestic 
affection,  his  beneficence,  or  his  hospitality." 

The  Vaughans  were  connected  with  the  Hallowells,  the 
Gardiners,  and  the  Dumaresqs  by  ties  of  kinship;  and  the 
interchange  of  hospitalities  between  them,  and  between  the 
other  prominent  families  on  the  Kennebec,  served  to  promote 
all  that  was  best  in  social  life. 

Other  social  guests  of  high  estate  frequently  visited  Hal- 
lowell. "The  white  house  on  the  hill,"  writes  the  Hon.  John 
H.  Sheppard,  "was  the  abode  of  hospitality.  ...  It  was 
furnished  in  costly  style  but  simple;  there  was  no  gorgeous 
display;  everything  was  plain  yet  elegant  for  the  day.  In 
summer  there  was  a  continual  succession  of  visitors  from 
abroad ;  for  the  celebrity  of  Dr.  Vaughan  as  a  scholar,  and  his 
urbanity  as  a  gentleman  of  fortune  drew  many  from  other 
lands  to  visit  the  philospher  in  his  romantic  villa  on  the  banks 
of  the  Kennebec.    At  the  June  session  of  the^' Supreme  Court 

^  Robert  Hallowell,  Esq.,  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Hallowell,  a  wealthy  merchant 
of  Boston,  and  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Kennebec  purchase.  He  married  Hannah, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Silvester  Gardiner.  Their  son,  Robert  Hallowell,  changed  his  name  to 
Gardiner  when  he  came  into  possession  of  the  estate  of  his  grandfather,  Dr.  Silvester 
Gardiner.  The  Hallowells  vrere  of  ancient  English  ancestry,  and  were  descended  from 
William  Hallowell,  of  Devonshire,  England,  who  settled  in  Boston  before  the  close  of 
the  seventeenth  century. 


282 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


of  Massachusetts,  the  Judges  and  their  suit  anticipated  with 
joy  their  visit  to  him.  The  profound  Parsons,  that  giant  of 
the  common  law;  the  learned  Sedgwick,  and  the  Ciceronian 
Parker,  successively  Chief  Justices,  were  among  his  guests;  and 
who  could  forget  the  eloquent  solicitor,  General  Daniel  Davis, 
father  of  Charles  Henry  Davis,  our  distinguished  Admiral  of 
the  Navy,  or  the  logical  Mellen,  or  the  noble  Wilde,  then  at 
the  head  of  the  bar  of  Maine,  and  many  other  kindred  spirits, 
men  of  rank  in  their  day  and  generation.  The  society  in 
Kennebec  and  Lincoln  was  of  a  high  order,  and  many  distin- 
guished gentry  were  among  his  social  visitors, — persons  whose 
influence  has  never  been  surpassed,  if  indeed  equaled  in  that 
part  of  the  country.  It  was  there  too  I  saw  that  great  scholar 
and  admirable  reader,  the  Rev.  John  Silvester  John  Gardiner, 
D.  D.,  Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Boston,  whose  peculiarly 
black  and  piercing  eyes  seemed  to  look  into  the  very  soul 
when  he  spoke ;  one  whose  classic  taste  was  almost  without  a 
rival  in  America,  and  whose  great  memory  and  attic  wit  gave  a 
peculiar  fascination  to  his  conversation.  But  where  shall  I 
stop,  if  I  venture  to  repeat  the  names  of  such  guests;  for 
before  my  mind's  eye  rise  up  that  truly  Christian  disciple, 
the  Rev.  Charles  Lowell,  and  the  learned  Dr.  Kirkland, 
whose  placid  smile  will  long  be  remembered;  and  that  pre- 
cocious and  extraordinary  young  divine  Mr.  J.  S.  Buckminster, 
who  once  preached  to  us  a  thrilling  discourse  from  this  sublime 
text:  'Never  man  spoke  like  this  man';  and  this  was  uttered 
by  a  Unitarian  in  our  Hopkinsian  pulpit.  ...  I  must 
refer  once  more  to  our  visitors  from  abroad  for  it  was 
at  this  mansion  I  saw  the  handsomest  woman  I  ever  beheld, 
Mrs.  Richard  Derby,  of  Boston,  in  whose  lovely  expression 
there  was  a  shade  of  melancholy  resembling  the  Madonna,  so 
finely  pictured  by  the  divine  Raphael  to  the  imagination." 

The  most  notable,  although  perhaps  not  the  most  worthy 
or  most  highly-to-be-honored  guest  of  Old  Hallowell  in  its  early 
days  was  the  French  statesman,  Talleyrand.  It  is  stated  by 
North  in  the  History  of  Augusta,  that  in  the  year  1794,  Talley- 
rand in  company  with  a  young  Frenchman  came  to  Hallowell, 
and  was  entertained  at  the  tavern  of  Billy  Pitt ;  that  Talleyrand 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallow  ell 


283 


and  his  young  friend  dined  with  Mrs.  Colonel  North  and  her 
son,  and  visited  Mr.  Charles  Vaughan  at  the  mill-house  near 
Bombahook  brook.  These  distinguished  guests  were  also  enter- 
tained by  Judge  Robbins,  at  the  Hook.  The  story  is  also  told, 
on  the  authority  of  Judge  Weston,  that  ''many  years  after- 
wards, Judge  Robbins  sent  a  son  abroad  to  finish  his  medical 
education  in  Paris.  It  was  soon  after  the  restoration  of  the 
Bourbons ;  Talleyrand  was  in  high  favor  and  in  the  most  palmy 
state  of  his  brilliant  career.  He  heard  of  young  Robbins;  and 
desirous  to  repay  in  Paris,  civilities  received  in  Hallowell, 
invited  him  to  dine,  placed  him  at  table  between  two  ladies  of 
high  rank,  and  otherwise  treated  him  with  marked  attention."  ^ 
The  date  of  the  visit  of  Talleyrand  at  Hallowell,  is  fixed 
by  North  in  the  year  1794.  Hanson,  in  his  History  of  Gardiner 
also  states  that,  in  1794,  Talleyrand  and  Louis  Philippe  visited 
General  Dearborn  in  Gardiner;  but,  according  to  historic 
records,  the  Orleans  princes  did  not  arrive  in  America  until 
October  25,  1796.  Our  local  chronicles  must  therefore  be 
wrong,  at  least,  as  to  the  date  of  Louis  Philippe's  visit.  An 
author,  ^  who  has  made  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  experience 
of  Louis  Philippe  in  the  United  States,  writes  that  "on  October 
21,  1797,  The  Boston  Press  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
princes  in  that  city.  .  .  .  With  Talleyrand  they  made  a  trip 
to  Maine,  stopping  at  Newburyport  and  Haverhill.  For  a  week 
they  were  guests  at  the  Martin  farm,  on  the  Sagamore  Creek, 
near  Portsmouth.  At  Gardiner,  their  host  was  General  Henry 
Dearborn." 

It  would  seem  highly  probable,  that  if  Louis  Philippe  came 
as  far  as  Gardiner,  he  would  not  have  failed  to  visit  the  dis- 
tinguished Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan;  and  it  was  currently 
reported  that  both  Talleyrand  and  Louis  Philippe  were  guests 
at  the  Vaughan  mansion  in  Hallowell.  This  report  passed  into 
a  generally  accepted  tradition,  and  the  Hallowell  boys  and  girls 
have  since  been  brought  up  in  the  belief  that  the  royal  prince 
tramped  through  the  Vaughan  glen,  and  fished  in  the  Cascade 
stream;  and  that  he  fell  into  the  brook  and  got  a  thorough 

^  North's  History  of  Augusta,  p.  255. 

2  Jane  Marsh  Parker.   Century  Magazine,  Vol.  40,  p,  756. 


284 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


wetting,  just  as  Ingraham  has  related  in  one  of  the  best  of  his 
unhistoric  stories.  But,  in  the  face  of  all  this  presumptive 
evidence,  the  inexorable  spirit  of  the  truthful  historian  compels 
me  to  say  that  a  granddaughter  of  Dr.  Vaughan,  who  confirms 
the  story  of  the  visit  of  Talleyrand,  distinctly  states  that  the 
family  have  no  proof  that  his  companion  was  the  royal  prince, 
afterwards  Louis  Philippe  of  France. 

The  story  of  the  visit  of  Talleyrand  and  Louis  Philippe  is 
familiar  to  all  the  old  residents  of  Hallowell;  but  it  is  not  so 
generally  known  that  a  nephew  of  Marshal  Ney  was  once  a 
guest  in  Hallowell.  During  his  visit,  this  young  Frenchman 
suffered  from  a  severe  illness  and  received  the  professional 
attendance  of  the  eminent  physician,  Dr.  Benjamin  Page. 
After  his  recovery  and  return  to  France,  young  Ney  sent  a  very 
generous  gift  of  money  to  Dr.  Page,  in  acknowledgment  of  his 
professional  services,  with  a  most  grateful  and  appreciative 
letter  which  was  long  preserved  in  the  Page  family. 

Another  somewhat  remarkable  person,  who  visited  Hal- 
lowell about  1823,  has  left  to  us  a  curious  and  entertaining 
record  of  the  place  and  its  inhabitants.  This  eccentric  visitor 
was  Mrs.  Anne  Royall,  one  of  the  earliest  book  agents  who  ever 
traveled  through  our  state.  She  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  but 
had  resided  for  a  number  of  years  in  Washington,  where  she 
became  well  known  as  the  editor  of  the  Washington  Paul  Pry. 
She  was  the  author  of  several  books  of  travel,  in  which  she 
shows  herself  to  be  a  keen  observer,  and  a  merciless  critic,  with 
a  sharp,  satirical  tongue.  She  was  an  ardent  Unitarian,  and 
saw  no  good  in  people  of  any  other  persuasion.  Anyone  who 
was  a  devoted  Unitarian,  who  was  polite  to  her,  and  who 
purchased  her  books,  received  her  warm  commendation;  but 
woe  to  those  who  did  not  meet  with  these  requisitions !  They 
were  destined  to  be  stigmatized  forever  in  the  Black  Book  of 
which  Mrs.  Royall  was  the  author.  A  few  copies  of  this  publi- 
cation still  exist;  and  we  read  with  much  interest  the  impres- 
sions of  Hallowell  and  its  citizens  as  recorded  by  Mrs.  Anne 
Royall. 

Hallowell,"  writes  Mrs.  Royall,  "is  a  port  of  entry  and  has 
much  trade.    I  was  surprised  to  see  a  beautiful,  thriving, 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallowell 


285 


populous  town  so  far  in  the  interior;  fine,  large  brick  houses, 
vessels  in  the  basin,  a  fine  prospect,  and  an  immense  number 
of  genteel  people  in  the  street.  Like  all  towns  on  the 
Kennebec,  its  length  is  parallel  with  the  river,  and  its  width 
embraces  a  lofty  rise  ascending  quite  from  the  river  until  it 
attains  a  very  considerable  eminence.  On  the  top  of  this 
eminence,  a  greater  part  of  the  town  is  built.  Most  of  the 
merchants  and  all  of  the  wealthy  citizens  live  on  this  eleva- 
tion, and  their  houses,  furniture,  and  equipage  display  a 
superior  style  of  taste,  wealth,  and  elegance.  Their  homes 
mostly  have  gardens  attached  to  them  of  inimitable  beauty,  nor 
do  the  owners  yield  to  any  on  the  continent,  in  hospitality  and 
polished  manners.  Kennebec  is  principally  settled  by  en- 
lightened Unitarians  and  Universalists  who  carry  souls  in  their 
bodies. 

"I  arrived  in  Hallowell  on  Saturday  night,  and  early 
Sunday  morning,  or  at  least  after  breakfast,  several  of  the 
citizens  honored  me  with  a  call  and  invited  me  to  take  a 
seat  in  one  of  the  pews  of  Rev.  Everett's  church,  a  Unitarian, 
of  course.  The  church  was  large  and  the  congregation  con- 
sisted principally  of  the  first  citizens  of  the  place.  It  was  the 
handsomest  congregation  I  remember  to  have  seen  in  any 
country;  both  men  and  women  were  fine  tall  figures,  fair  and 
well  featured,  with  a  nameless  mixture  of  flitting  graces  and 
thronging  charms — the  waving  form,  the  sparkling  eye,  the 
glossy  curl,  the  jetty  tufts  of  hair,  the  generous  manly  cheek, 
the  snowy  forehead,  the  soft  damask  blush.  But  above  all, 
the  kind  glance  of  friendship  and  classic  fire, — it  was 
impossible  to  resist  them."  ^ 

Whatever  Mrs.  Roy  all's  literary  sins  may  have  been,  and 
they  appear  to  have  been  many,  Hallowell  cap  surely  forgive 
her  much  for  this  tribute  to  the  place  and  the  people.  The 
account  of  her  visit  at  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan's  is  equally 
characteristic. 

"But  the  pride  of  Hallowell  is  the  venerable  and  wealthy 
Mr.  Vaughan,  an  English  nobleman  who  has  vast  possessions 


The  Black  Book.   Vol.  II,  p.  256-258. 


286 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


both  in  this  country  and  Europe.  .  .  .  Mr.  Vaughan  is,  with 
his  wife,  far  advanced  in  hfe, — shrouded  in  humihty,  meekness, 
and  philanthropy.  Their  large  fortune  is  principally  devoted 
to  the  benefit  of  mankind.  Relieving  the  poor,  enlightening 
the  ignorant,  and  promoting  the  public  good  has  been  the 
business  and  pride  of  the  long  life  of  Mr.  Vaughan.  He  has 
been  the  bulwark  of  the  Unitarians  in  America,  and  the 
champion  of  arts  and  sciences,  a  friend  of  liberty.  This 
amiable  man,  modest  and  plain  in  his  equipage,  I  found  on  the 
banks  of  the  Kennebec.  My  curiosity  being  aroused  I  called 
at  his  house.  He  opened  the  door  himself,  and  making  one  of 
his  'St.  James'  bows,'  (as  I  conjecture,  for  I  never  saw  any- 
thing like  it  before  nor  since,)  he  asked  me  to  walk  in  and 
showing  me  into  a  parlour,  instead  of  ringing  for  a  servant,  and 
overturning  everything,  he  apologized  and  walked  off  himself 
for  Mrs.  Vaughan.  After  introducing  Mrs.  Vaughan,  he  took 
a  seat  and  entered  familiarly  into  conversation.  Several 
called  while  I  was  there,  attending  to  which  must-  be  very 
oppressive  to  a  gentleman  of  Mr.  V's  age  and  delicate  appear- 
ance. That  I  might  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  their  company  the 
very  short  time  I  had  to  spare,  a  small  table  covered  with 
every  delicacy  was  set  by  my  chair  without  suffering  me  to 
move." 

In  conclusion,  Mrs.  Royall  adds:  *'Mr.  Vaughan  ac- 
companied me  to  the  door  and  while  his  illustrious  eye  rested 
upon  me  he  put  a  bank  note  into  my  hand."  ^ 

Mrs.  Royall  was  also  moved  to  speak  of  other  residents 
of  Hallowell  as  ''people  of  education  and  family,  kind  and 
hospitable,  and  affable  in  their  manners."  She  called  upon 
the  family  of  the  Baptist  minister,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chessman, 
and  was  "much  surprised  to  find  the  lady  and  her  daughter 
most  charming  women."  "I  do  not  believe,"  she  writes,  "that 
there  is  a  spark  of  the  orthodox  about  them." 

The  author  of  the  Black  Book  was  evidently  not  so  well 
pleased  with  her  reception  at  Augusta  as  at  Hallowell,  but  the 
reason  is  very  apparent  in  her  statement  that  Augusta  "has 

I  The  Black  Book.  Vol.  II,  p.  258-260. 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallowell 


287 


until  lately  been  an  orthodox  town  and,  of  course,  not  so 
much  can  be  expected  of  it."  She  closes  the  account  of  her 
visit  with  this  somewhat  invidious  passage:  "I  am  told  that 
the  legislature  of  the  state  is  about  to  locate  the  seat  of 
government  at  Augusta.  I  am  sorry  the  citizens  are  not  more 
worthy  of  the  distinction.  Had  I  a  casting  vote,  I  would  by  a 
long  ways  give  the  preference  to  Hallowell,  as  different  as  two 
places  can  possibly  be.  In  Hallowell,  they  are,  we  may  say,  all 
gentlemen." 

Among  the  most  interesting  and  noteworthy  men  that 
frequently  came  to  Hallowell  was  Charles  Bulfinch,  the 
eminent  architect  who  made  the  designs  for  the  completion  of 
the  national  Capitol  at  Washington,  for  the  State  House  at 
Boston,  for  the  State  Capitol  at  Augusta,  Maine,  and  for  many 
other  famous  public  buildings.  It  was,  doubtless,  during  one 
of  his  visits  at  "Sunset  Farm,"  the  residence  of  Charles 
Vaughan,  Esq.,  that  Mr.  Bulfinch  designed  the  belfry-tower  of 
the  Old  South  meeting-house.  At  a  somewhat  later  period, 
Nathaniel  Hawthorne  and  his  friend  and  classmate,  Horatio 
Bridge  of  Augusta,  were  frequently  entertained  in  Hallowell. 
The  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks,  when  a  boy,  often  visited  at  the 
home  of  his  uncle,  Thomas  B.  Brooks,  on  Second  Street;  and 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  in  the  early  days  of  steamboating  en- 
joyed the  hospitaUty  of  the  Pages  and  other  prominent 
families. 

The  Hon.  George  Evans  was  also  very  frequently  a  guest 
in  his  native  town.  This  eminent  statesman  and  member  of 
Congress  was  born  in  Hallowell,  January  12,  1797.  He  was 
the  second  child  of  Daniel  and  Joanna  Hains  Evans  whose 
family  record  appears  inscribed  upon  the  ancient  town  books. 
George  Evans  spent  his  boyhood  and  yout'h  in  his  native 
town,  fitted  for  college  at  the  Hallowell  Academy,  graduated 
from  Bowdoin  in  1815,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1818; 
and  although  he  subsequently  resided  elsewhere,  he  may  be 
claimed  as  one  of  the  illustrious  sons  of  Old  Hallowell. 

Many  warm  tributes  were  paid  to  Mr.  Evans  by  his 
contemporaries.    He  is  said  to  have  been  a  great  lawyer, 


288 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


who  "never  mistook  an  enemy's  outpost  for  his  citadel."  He 
was  an  eloquent  orator  and  an  acute  statesman,  and  his 
speeches  in  Congress  on  the  tariff  and  revenue  disclosed  his 
mastery  of  the  most  important  measures  in  the  history  of  our 
government.  Mr.  Clay  asserted  that  "Mr.  Evans  knew  more 
about  the  finances  than  any  other  public  man  in  the  United 
States."  "As  a  debater/'  writes  Mr.  Blaine,  "Mr.  Evans  is 
entitled  to  rank  next  to  Mr.  Webster,"  ^  and  when  Mr.  Evans' 
term  of  service  drew  near  to  its  close,  Mr.  Webster  paid  him 
the  extraordinary  commendation  of  saying  in  the  senate  that 
his  retirement  would  be  "a  serious  loss  to  the  government  and 
the  country."  He  pronounced  the  speech  just  then  delivered 
by  Mr.  Evans  on  the  finances  to  be  "incomparable."  ^ 

Upon  occasions  of  public  interest  in  Hallowell,  Mr. 
Evans  was  often  the  orator  of  the  day;  and  when  the  town 
had  the  honor  of  a  visit  from  Daniel  Webster,  Mr.  Evans 
was  invited  to  make  the  address  of  welcome.  It  is  recorded  by 
the  Hon.  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner  3  that  "at  a  v-ery  short 
notice  a  magnificent  dinner  was  prepared  at  the  Hallowell 
House,  then  just  opened  and  carried  on  by  Kilburne  Robinson, 
in  the  style  of  the  Tremont  and  Revere  Houses.  Prominent 
persons  from  Augusta,  Hallowell,  Gardiner,  and  Portland  were 
present  to  do  honor  to  Mr.  Webster.  The  time  of  this  dinner 
was  at  the  moment  of  his  greatest  glory, — not  long  after  his 
great  and  memorable  contest  in  the  senate  with  Hayne  of 
South  Carolina,  upon  the  constitution.  When  the  cloth  was 
removed,  a  crowd  was  collected  in  expectation  of  a  speech 
from  the  great  expounder.  Mr.  Evans,  who  presided  at  the 
table,  rose  to  express  a  hearty  welcome  from  Kennebec  to 
the  distinguished  guest.  Most  unfortunately,  no  report  of  this 
speech  has  ever  been  published;  for  such  an  outpouring  of 
eloquence  for  at  least  an  hour,  has  seldom  been  heard  and 
those  who  were  privileged  to  listen  to  it  can  never  forget  it. 
In  the  course  of  his  speech  he  quoted  whole  passages  from 
Scott's  Ivankoe,  where  Rebecca  at  the  window  describes  to  the 

*  Twenty  Years  of  Congress,  Vol.  I,  p.  71. 
2  Ibid. 

Collections  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Vol.   VII,  p.  470. 


Social  Life  of  Old  Hallowell 


289 


wounded  Ivanhoe  the  operations  of  the  besiegers  of  the  castle ; 
and  as  she  relates  the  exploits  of  the  Black  Knight,  Richard 
Coeur  de  Lion,  wielding  the  massive  battle  axe,  Ivanhoe 
exclaims,  'Methought  there  was  but  one  man  in  England  that 
might  do  such  a  deed.'  Applying  this  in  a  masterly  manner 
to  Webster's  blows  against  the  enemies  of  the  constitution,  and 
carrying  on  the  simile,  every  moment  rising  in  eloquence,  he 
utters  Ivanhoe's  exclamation,  'I  would  endure  ten  years 
captivity  to  fight  one  day  by  that  good  knight's  side,  in  such  a 
quarrel  as  this.'  At  the  conclusion  of  this  eloquent  address, 
Mr.  Webster  rose  and  evinced  by  his  manner  how  much  he  had 
been  affected  by  it.  He  spoke  for  some  time,  but  although 
everything  uttered  by  Mr.  Webster  always  commanded  the 
closest  attention,  yet,  following,  as  it  did,  this  remarkable 
address  of  Mr.  Evans,  many  of  his  hearers  were  disappointed." 

Other  tales  of  the  hospitality  of  Hallowell,  and  of  its  dis- 
tinguished guests  abound;  but  from  these  authentic  sketches 
we  are  able  to  evolve  a  distinct  and  accurate  picture  of  the 
social  life  of  the  ancient  town.  Host  and  hostess  have  long 
since  passed  away;  guest  and  wayfarer  have  alike  departed; 
but  the  visions  of  these  old-time  gentle-folk  still  linger  in  our 
memories  like  the  stars  of  the  "Dream-Song," 

"That,  at  some  silent,  dim  behest, 

Arise  above  the  river, 
To  shine  upon  its  darkling  breast, 

Forever  and  forever." 


/ 


XVIII 


ROMANTIC,  QUAINT,  AND  INTERESTING 
CHARACTERS 

"The  few  old-fashioned  men  and  women — quaint,  shrewd,  and 
racy  of  the  soil — who  linger  in  little,  silvery-gray  old  homesteads  will 
shortly  cease  to  exist." —  Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich. 

HE  local  conditions  and  environments  of  Hallowell, 
in  the  olden  days,  were  such  as  were  productive  of 
many  romantic,  quaint,  and  interesting  characters 
whose  story  adds  much  to  the  interest  of  the  old  town. 
At  this  early  period,  the  individuality  of  every  villager  stood 
out  with  marked  prominence.  Personal  traits  and  charac- 
teristics were  often  unduly  emphasized,  and  any  weakness  or 
peculiarity  of  the  individual  easily  became  exaggerated.  In 
our  own  day,  so  crowded  with  multitudinous  and  overwhelming 
interests,  no  one  has  time  to  dwell  upon  the  idiosyncrasies  of 
his  neighbor;  but,  of  old,  any  manifestation  of  oddity  was 
immediately  noted,  and  by  its  very  recognition  was  developed 
and  perpetuated.  Moreover,  the  last  faint  shadows  of  super- 
stition lingered  still  upon  our  hills  and  valleys,  reluctant  to 
depart;  and  an  openly  acknowledged  love  of  the  romantic 
and  marvelous  everywhere  prevailed.  We  have,  consequently, 
not  a  few  stories  of  the  olden  times  which  border  upon 
legendary  lore,  and  many  other  veritable  records  of  curious  and 
interesting  characters  that  developed  in  Old  Hallowell. 

One  of  these  earlier  local  characters,  whose  story  borders 
on  the  marvelous,  was  an  old  man,  called  "Uncle  Kaler,"  who 
lived  on  Loudon  Hill.  Uncle  Kaler  had  Finnish  blood  in  his 
veins  and  was  reputed  to  be  a  "wizard."  By  his  magical  art, 
Uncle  Kaler  could  make  amulets  that  would  bring  good  luck 
to  the  sailor,  love  philters  for  despairing  swains  and  forlorn 
damsels,  and  efficacious  potions  to  cure  the  cattle  that  were 
bewitched.  This  weird  enchanter  could  also  make  good  weather 


The   Wizard  of  Loudon  Hill 


291 


or  bad  weather  to  order,  although  he  sometimes  overdid  the 
matter,  as  the  following  tradition  shows. 

Uncle  Kaler  lived  in  an  old  house  just  below  the  mill- 
brook,  and  the  road  from  Cobbossee  to  the  Hook  ran  close  by 
his  door.  One  warm  misty  evening  in  May,  Uncle  Kaler 
heard  some  horses  speeding  up  the  hill  and  stopping  at  his  door. 
He  opened  it,  and  a  man's  voice  came  in  from  the  darkness: 
"Is  this  Mr.  Kaler?" 

"It  is,  at  your  service." 

"Well,  my  name  is  ,  and  this  lady  with  me  is  Miss 

 of  Pownalboro.    We  are  on  our  way  to  Hallowell  to  be 

married.  Her  relatives  don't  like  the  match  and  are  after  us 
hot  foot.  Listen!" 

Away  down  the  river  could  be  heard  the  long-drawn  bay 
of  hounds. 

"You  hear,  old  man!  Now  our  horses  are  about  used  up, 
and  if  something  isn't  done  they  will  overtake  us;  then  there 
will  be  murder.  You  have  the  reputation  of  being  a  wind- 
jammer and  wizard.  Here  are  a  hundred  Spanish  milled 
dollars  for  the  worst  weather  you  have  got,  and  if  it  does  the 
business,  another  hundred  when  I  come  back." 

The  old  man  made  no  reply,  but  went  to  a  chest  and 
taking  out  a  small  leather  bag  gave  it  to  the  stranger,  saying, 
"Go  back  a  little  on  the  road,  cut  open  the  bag,  squeeze  out  its 
contents,  throw  the  bag  away,  then  come  back  and  resume 
your  journey." 

The  man  did  as  he  was  told,  and  returning  in  a  short 
time  said:  "If  you  have  played  us  false,  something  will 
happen  to  you." 

"Rest  easy,"  said  Uncle  Kaler.  "Hark!"  and  away  in 
the  southwest  was  heard  a  low  grumbling  like  4istant  thunder. 
It  increased  and  deepened  momentarily  till  it  seemed  as  if 
a  cyclone  was  tearing  through  the  forest. 

"What  is  it.?"    asked  the  stranger. 

"A  cloud-burst  in  the  hills.  It  will  be  a  sharp  hound  who 
follows  your  track  in  five  minutes.  Go  in  peace,  and  good 
luck  go  with  you,  from  a  man  who  can  make  good  luck." 

Away  they  dashed  through  the  gathering  storm  and 


292  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

darkness,  speeding  to  happiness,  or  the  contrary,  as  the  case 
may  be  with  married  people.  Under  the  roaring  thunder,  and 
nearly  deafened  by  the  roar  and  crash  of  the  raging  torrent  he 
had  conjured,  the  old  man  went  into  the  house  saying  to 
himself:  "I  am  afraid  I  made  that  bagful  too  strong,  but  I 
don't  know  as  I  am  sorry,  for  it  would  never  do  to  have  the 
young  people  caught." 

The  next  morning  the  day  broke  clear  and  beautiful;  but 
where,  the  day  before,  a  peaceful  little  brook  had  flowed 
through  a  green  pasture,  and  the  little  mill  had  clattered 
merrily  grinding  the  few  grists  the  neighbors  brought,  there 
was  now  a  fearful  gorge  gullied  down  to  the  bedrock  and 
choked  up  with  uprooted  trees  and  brush ;  the  mill  was  gone 
and  the  big  boulder  that  formed  a  part  of  its  foundation  had 
been  swept  away  far  out  into  the  river,  and  now  forms  that 
impediment  to  navigation  known  as  Mill  Rock.  If  anyone  will 
take  notice  at  low  tide  they  will  see  quite  a  large  point  stretch- 
ing out  into  the  river  from  the  mouth  of  the  brook;  it  is  the 
debris  of  the  cloud-burst."' 

The  lovers  of  the  weird  element  in  story-telling  and  of 
mysteries  that  never  were  solved  will  understand  the  thrill  of 
mingled  delight  and  terror  with  which  the  children  of  Hal- 
lowell used  to  listen  to  the  tales  of  the  "Unknown  Meeting- 
house Beggar,"  and  of  the  mysterious  "Man  of  Ice." 

The  meeting-house  beggar  was  a  nameless  old  man  who, 
accompanied  by  his  dog,  made  his  appearance  in  town,  coming 
from  whence  none  knew.  He  seemed  disinclined  to  com- 
panionship, talked  little,  refused  rum,  and  thankfully  received 
gifts  of  food  from  the  charitable.  He  existed  in  this  way 
more  than  a  year,  no  one  knowing  more  of  him — not  even 
where  he  slept.  One  day  his  dog  came  to  the  door  of  a  house 
where  his  master  had  often  been  fed,  and  by  his  strange 
conduct  induced  someone  to  follow  him.  He  led  the  way  to 
the  Old  South  and  disappeared  suddenly  through  an  opening 
in  the  underpinning.  Looking  in,  the  person  dimly  discerned 
the  figure  of  a  man  lying  upon  some  shavings.     Entering,  he 


I  "  Van  Ho."   Loudon  Hill. 


The  Man  of  Ice 


293 


found  the  poor  old  mendicant  dead.  The  beggar  was  buried 
and  there  was  never  any  knowledge  of  his  previous  history. 
The  dog  never  left  the  place  of  his  owner's  death  save 
occasionally  to  go  for  a  bone  to  the  place  where  the  beggar 
had  been  accustomed  to  have  his  wants  supplied,  and  then  to 
run  back  to  his  lonely  retreat.  For  years  he  made  this  place 
his  abode,  refusing  all  intercourse  with  his  own  or  human 
species.  He  grew  gray  and  almost  blind.  At  length  this 
canine  recluse  was  missed,  and  a  search  revealed  him  dead 
where  his  master  had  expired  twelve  years  before.  He  was 
always  called  the  "meeting-house  dog."  ^ 

The  true  tale  of  the  mysterious  *'Man  of  Ice"  has  been 
effectively  retold,  by  the  "Old  Bookseller"  to  "Amoret,"  in 
the  story  of  The  End  of  the  Beginnings  from  which  the  follow- 
ing extracts  are  quoted,  by  permission  of  the  author :  ^ 

"The  night  grew  darker  and  darker,  and  the  wind  roared 
louder,  while  thicker  and  faster  fell  the  sharp  sleet  that  cut 
like  needles.  And  just  think  of  it!  All  alone  with  the 
winter  weather,  trying  to  cross  the  river,  was  a  withered  and 
bent  old  man.  Staggering  along,  he  had  to  stop  every  half- 
dozen  steps,  to  catch  his  breath,  and  to  hunt  for  the  path  that 
grew  harder  and  harder  to  find  and  keep.  Getting  a  glimpse 
of  the  light  in  one  of  the  houses  on  the  hill,  he  would  stop  and 
call  for  help;  a  hopeless  dreary  call  that  hardly  served  to 
make  any  louder  the  shriek  of  the  blast  that  took  it  from  him. 
His  hat  was  gone,  and  his  poor  thin  gray  hair  was  whisked 
about  in  the  wind;  and  his  torn  old  coat  flapped  round  him, 
threatening  every  minute  to  fly  off  in  the  darkness.  Oh,  dear! 
As  he  went  dragging  slowly  along,  shivering  in  his  rags, 
falling  again  and  again,  his  face  bleeding  from  the  sharp  cut  of 
the  sleet,  the  old  fellow  would  have  been  2^  sorry  sight,  if 
anybody  had  been  there  to  see.  But  the  old  man  had  with 
him  a  friend,  the  friend  that  had  broken  his  wife's  heart ;  the 
friend  that  had  scattered  his  children  among  strangers;  the 
friend  for  whose  sake  he  had  given  up  love,  honor,  happiness, 

*  Rev.  J.  H.  Ingraham. 

2  Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson. 


294 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


and  who  had  now  driven  him  a  homeless  wanderer,  out  into 
the  night  and  storm.  This  friend  he  pressed  now  and  again 
with  eager  Hps,  or  hugged  closely  with  his  stiff,  blue  fingers 
and  aching  arms,  while  the  storm  grew  wilder,  and  his  own 
little  strength  failed  more  and  more  with  each  icy  gust." 

"Why  didn't  his  friend  help  him.?"  said  Amoret.  "I 
think  it  was  real  wicked." 

"You'll  see,"  said  the  story-teller,  coming  back  to  the 
intelligence  of  his  hearer. 

"At  any  rate,  as  he  stumbled  and  picked  himself  up  again 
and  again,  alone  with  his  jug  in  the  fearful  night,  he  kept 
muttering  all  the  while.  What  did  he  think,  little  girl,  if  he 
could  think,  and  what  did  he  say,  when  at  last  with  a  sigh  of 
relief,  he  sank  back  to  rest  a  little.?  Perhaps,  like  Falstaff  of 
old,  'a'  babbled  of  green  fields.'  " 

"Was  his  friend  nothing  but  a  jug.?"  queried  the  wide- 
awake listener.    "And  who  was  Falstaff.?" 

"I'll  tell  you  sometime,"  said  he;  "one  story  at  a  time." 

"As  the  night  wore  on  the  storm  raged  itself  out;  the 
wind  sank  to  a  sort  of  little  moan;  and  the  sleet  became  just 
a  cold,  dull,  straight  pouring  rain  that  froze  as  it  fell.  .  .  . 
When  morning  dawned  you  never  saw  such  a  pretty  picture. 

.  .  .  It  was  just  as  though  you  had  been  suddenly  trans- 
ported to  a  new  planet  where  there  was  no  warmth,  no  color, 
nothing  but  clear,  cold,  glittering  purity.  Why,  hills  and 
fields  and  river  lay  smooth  and  white,  with  millions  of  little 
sparkles  of  light  on  the  icy  crust,  while  every  tiny  twig  of 
every  bush  and  tree,  all  snug  in  its  perfect  coat  of  ice,  looked 
as  if  crusted  with  diamonds.  The  whole  world  was  one  great 
jewel  that  lay  flashing  and  glowing  in  the  rays  of  the  morning 
sun.    .    .  . 

"All  at  once  a  quiver  of  excitement  was  spread  through 
the  village  by  the  announcement  made  by  the  many  small  boys 
who  had  their  faces  glued  to  the  window  panes,  that  an  ox- 
team  was  coming  up  the  hill.  Such  a  Sabbath  sight  wasn't 
common  in  that  old-fashioned  community,  and  so  everyone 
wondered  what  it  could  mean.  And  folks  wondered  still  more 
when,  as  the  team  came  nearer,  they  saw  the  slow  oxen  draw- 


Lord  Echlin 


295 


ing  a  woodsled  with  something  on  it  covered  by  a  horse- 
blanket.  As  it  came  nearer,  the  men  found  they  had  business 
that  called  them  to  the  front  gate;  but  those  who  asked, 
*What  ye  got  there?'  only  received  for  answer  from  the 
walkers  beside  the  team:    'Ye'll  see  at  the  meetin '-house.' 

''When  the  team  finally  got  there,  and  the  men  lifted 
their  queer  burden  and  placed  it  on  the  great  horse-block, 
those  who  came  behind  could  see  a  sudden  stir  among  the 
folks  already  gathered.  They  moved  rapidly  to  and  fro,  and 
pointed,  and  asked  eager  questions  that  no  man  could  answer. 
All  that  anybody  could  say,  was:  '*We  found  him  on  the  river, 
and  we  brought  him  to  meetin'  to  see  if  anybody  knowed  him.' 

*So,  when  each  new-comer  got  to  the  edge  of  the  crowd, 
he  hurried  out  a  'What  is  it?'  and  got  for  an  answer  a  silent 
gesture  toward  the  centre  of  the  group,  while  the  bystanders 
fell  back  and  opened  the  way  for  him  to  see  a  sight  he  never 
forgot.  .  .  .  There,  before  the  meeting-house  door,  lay  a 
ragged  old  man,  his  gray  hair  spread  round  his  head  like  a  halo, 
and  his  thin  old  arms  clasping  a  jug  close  to  his  shrunken 
body. 

"Who  he  was,  whence  he  came,  whither  he  was  going, 
nobody  knew.  But  surely  this  forlorn  old  drunkard  died  as  no 
other  has  ever  been  known  to  die :  for  as  he  lay  there  on  the 
hillside,  and  preached  a  never-to-be-forgotten  sermon,  his 
wretched  body  was  hermetically  sealed  in  a  coffin  that 
glittered  clear  and  pure  in  the  brilliant  sunlight ;  a  coffin  as 
transparent  as  air,  as  cold  as  death — a  coffin  of  ice!" 

Side  by  side  with  the  eminent  citizens  of  Hallowell,  in 
those  olden  days,  were  many  humbler,  but  perhaps  not  less 
interesting  neighbors  whose  stories,  if  they  could  be  told, 
would  add  much  to  the  romance  of  these  brie^  reminiscences. 
Among  these  was  "Lord  Echlin"  who  kept  a  cooper's  shop, 
in  front  of  the  town  pump,  on  School  House  lane.  Had 
Hawthorne  chanced  to  meet  "Lord  Echlin,"  what  would  he  not 
have  made  of  him  in  the  domain  of  romance!  The  veil  of 
mystery  which  still  hangs  over  this  titled  lord  of  the  cooper's 
trade  would  have  appealed  very  strongly  to  Hawthorne's  art. 


296 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Lord  Echlin  claimed  to  be  a  titled  Englishman.  He 
came  to  Hallowell  with  his  family  from  Canada,  and,  according 
to  the  old  story,  took  up  his  abode  here  while  his  son  went  to 
England  to  establish  some  claim  to  title  or  estates.  The  son 
was  drowned  on  the  return  voyage  from  Europe  to  America; 
the  beautiful  young  daughter  also  died  and  was  buried  in  the 
old  Hallowell  burying-ground.  Lord  Echlin  lived  on,  with 
Lady  Ann,  earning  a  scanty  living  by  the  cooper's  trade  until 
in  some  mysterious  way  they  both  passed  out  of  the  knowledge 
and  memory  of  the  people.  Whether  they  sailed  away  across 
the  sea,  or  whether  they  too  died  and  were  buried,  there  is  no 
one  to  tell.  But  in  the  Hallowell  cemetery,  there  stands  a 
marble  tombstone  bearing  this  inscription: 

Sacred  to  the  memory  of 
Miss  Sarah 
Daughter  of 
Sir  Henry  and  Ann  Echlin 
Who  died 
May  28,  1823 
Aged  16  years 
Also 

To  the  memory  of 
Sir  Chembre  Echlin 
Who  was  drowned  on  his  passage 
From  Europe  to  America. 

Far  from  their  friends  the  body  lies 
Oh,  may  their  souls  in  Christ  arise. 

Here  are  romance,  pathos,  and  mystery,  all  wrought  into 
this  brief  inscription.  Who  can  tell  us  the  true  tale  of  Lord 
and  Lady  Echlin.? 

Another  character  over  whom  the  halo  of  mystery  for  a 
long  time  hung,  was  **Jimmy  the  Bugler,"  who  one  day 
suddenly  appeared  in  Hallowell  from  the  realm  of  nowhere  in 
particular.  Jimmy  announced  his  arrival  by  a  long  musical 
blast  upon  a  fine  English  bugle,  which  he  brought  with  him 
under  his  weather-worn  coat,  and  then  played  several  lively 


Jimmy  the  Bugler 


297 


and  pleasing  airs  to  the  astonished  townspeople  who  gathered 
around  him.  A  warm  welcome  was  given  to  the  wonderful 
stranger  by  the  people  at  whose  door  he  had  stopped;  but 
Jimmy  the  Bugler  proved  himself  to  be  mortal,  for  he  was  very 
hungry  and  did  ample  justice  to  the  good  dinner  offered  him 
in  return  for  his  music. 

Pleased  with  his  reception,  Jimmy  decided  to  remain  in  the 
hospitable  town,  and  soon  found  a  home  and  employment 
with  a  good  farmer  who  bore  the  name  of  Jefferson  Davis. 
The  fame  of  Jimmy  and  his  wonderful  bugle  soon  spread 
abroad,  and  there  were  frequent  demands  for  his  services  on  all 
festive  occasions,  especially  on  muster  days  when  all  the 
military  companies  were  proud  to  march  to  the  field  with 
Jimmy  the  Bugler  at  their  head;  and  his  martial  airs  and 
marvelous  reveille  in  camp  was  something  long  to  be  remem- 
bered. 

On  one  occasion  a  party  of  young  men  made  a  pleasure 
trip  to  Boston  in  one  of  the  slow-sailing  packets  of  that  day, 
and  Jimmy  the  Bugler,  who  accompanied  them,  often  "set  the 
wild  echoes  flying,"  as  they  passed  down  the  valley  of  the 
Kennebec.  When  they  arrived  in  Boston,  they  decided  to 
spend  their  first  evening  at  the  theater.  For  some  reason  the 
actors  were  very  late  in  appearing  upon  the  stage,  the 
musicians  played  until  they  were  quite  exhausted.  The 
audience  grew  very  restless  and  impatient.  There  were  cries  of 
"Music!  Music!"  but  the  orchestra  failed  to  respond.  Then 
softly,  sweetly,  clearly,  the  notes  of  a  bugle  rang  out 
and  thrilled  the  house.  The  orchestra  was  astonished;  the 
actors  behind  the  curtain  peered  out  in  amazement;  and  when 
Jimmy  played  "The  Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  with  variations, 
the  audience  sat  at  first  spell-bound,  and  then  burst  into 
rapturous  applause.  Other  melodies  followed,/  and  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  the  people  were  induced  to  turn  their  attention 
to  the  play  when  the  actors  appeared  upon  the  stage.  "Who 
is  it.?  Who  is  it.?"  was  the  question  all  over  the  house.  The 
only  answer  was,  "Jimmy  the  Bugler." 

It  was  afterwards  learned  that  Jimmy  the  Bugler  was 
a  deserter  from  the  British  army,  that  he  had  belonged  to 


298 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


a  regimental  band  at  Quebec,  but  weary  of  army  life,  had 
slipped  away  across  the  border  into  the  peaceful  province  of 
Maine.  He  remained  for  some  years  in  Hallowell;  but,  like 
many  a  youthful  genius  of  his  day,  he  at  last  fell  a  victim  to 
intemperance  and  died  ingloriously  at  a  public  inn  on  the  way 
between  Bangor  and  Hallowell. 

The  memory  of  Jimmy  the  Bugler  was  long  preserved  by 
traditions  of  a  pot  of  money  which  he  was  supposed  to  have 
buried  on  the  farm  of  Jefferson  Davis.  Jimmy  earned  many 
silver  dollars,  but  was  rarely  known  to  spend  one.  The  inference 
was  that  he  had  an  accumulation  of  money  hidden  for  safety  in 
the  ground;  and  the  earth  on  the  Davis  farm  was  often  found 
upturned  by  the  treasure-seekers. 

Among  other  interesting  personages  who  frequented  Hal- 
lowell a  hundred  years  ago,  was  the  majestic  and  imperious 
"Queen  of  Sheba."  This  regal  character  was  a  mildly  de- 
mented woman,  named  Richardson,  who  wandered  about  the 
country,  happy  in  the  delusion  that  she  had  come  from  the 
court  of  Solomon  and  brought  with  her  all  the  glories  thereof. 
The  story  has  often  been  told  of  how  she  once  appeared 
at  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  of  Massachusetts,  which  then 
held  its  sittings  with  great  pomp  and  state  at  Hallowell,  and 
took  her  seat  with  much  dignity  beside  the  presiding  judge. 
There  was  consternation  on  the  bench.  The  sheriff  waited 
upon  the  "Queen  of  Sheba,"  but  she  refused  to  be  dethroned; 
and  not  until  her  majesty  pleased,  was  she  induced  to  leave  the 
house.  Then,  followed  by  the  sheriff,  an  imposing  figure,  with 
his  cocked  hat,  sash  and  sword,  and  long  white  staff  of  office, 
the  "Queen  of  Sheba"  walked  down  the  aisle,  with  head  erect 
and  a  majesty  of  mien  which  commanded  the  respect  of  all 
present. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich  may 
have  taken  the  name  of  his  charming  young  "Queen  of 
Sheba"  from  this  more  unfortunate  heroine  who  once  sat  in 
state  at  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  at  Hallowell. 

One  of  the  most  original  and  interesting  characters  of 
Old  Hallowell  was  Jonathan  Morgan,  A.  B.,  known  in  his 
later  years  as  "old  Squire  Morgan."     This  remarkable  man 


Squire  Morgan 


299 


came  to  Hallowell  as  a  young  lawyer,  about  1800,  "to  grow  up 
with  the  town."  He  was  a  close  student,  an  original  thinker, 
and  an  indefatigable  worker.  His  first  literary  production  was 
Morgans  Grammar  of  the  English  Language,  printed  by 
Goodale  and  Cheever  in  1814.  This  book  passed  through 
several  editions,  and  later  grammarians  have  followed  Morgan's 
methods  which  were  "sound  and  good."  Some  years  afterwards, 
Morgan  made  an  excellent  translation  of  the  New  Testament 
from  the  Greek.  But  the  great  passion  of  Squire  Morgan's 
life  was  for  mechanical  invention;  and  many  wonderful 
creations  originated  in  his  active  and  fertile  brain.  Among 
the  successful  and  useful  articles  ascribed  to  his  inventive 
genius  were  the  coffee-mills,  which  had  a  place  in  every  New 
England  household,  and  a  cylinder  stove,  which  was  pro- 
nounced a  great  improvement  upon  Ben  Franklin's  "furnace." 
It  is  also  claimed  that  the  first  steamboat  on  the  Kennebec 
was  built  by  Squire  Morgan.  About  1820,  Squire  Morgan 
removed  to  Portland  where  he  continued  the  practice  of  law  to 
an  extent  sufficient  to  furnish  the  means  for  his  experimental 
studies  in  his  workshop.  He  argued  his  last  law  case  when  an 
old  man  of  ninety-two  years,  and  won  it  too !  During  his  long 
and  solitary  life,  he  lived  respected  and  above  reproach;  and 
clad  in  his  loose  cloak  fastened  at  the  neck  by  chain-links,  and 
wearing  a  soft  broad-brimmed  hat  pulled  down  over  his  green- 
spectacled  eyes,  he  was  always  a  unique  and  picturesque  figure 
upon  the  street. 

One  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  on  the  streets  of  Hal- 
lowell, in  the  olden  time,  was  Samuel  Manning,  the  tailor.  In 
his  early  and  prosperous  days,  Mr.  Manning  built  a  double  store 
on  Water  Street,  one  part  of  which  he  occupied  in  the  business 
which  he  here  carried  on  for  many  years.  He  was  successful  in 
his  trade  and  accumulated  a  small  propertyl  the  income  of 
which  would  have  supported  him  in  his  old  age  had  he 
continued  to  practice  the  habits  of  economy  and  sobriety. 

Mr.  Manning  was  remarkable  for  many  personal  charac- 
teristics that  won  for  him  the  affectionate  regard  of  his 
townspeople  and  acquaintances,  but  he  also  possessed  certain 
peculiarities  that  soon  developed  into  what,  in  the  phraseology 


300 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


of  the  New  England  town,  is  called  a  "character."  He  was 
well  educated  and  a  good  conversationalist;  a  man  of  keen 
intellect,  ready  wit,  and  sympathetic  personality.  He  was 
a  singer  of  some  pretension,  and  occupied  for  many  years  a 
conspicuous  seat  at  the  end  of  the  line  in  the  front  row  of  the 
choir  in  the  Old  South  meeting-house.  He  had  also  military 
aspirations,  and  was  very  proud  of  his  office  as  corporal  in  the 
famous  Hallowell  artillery,  at  the  time  it  was  commanded  by 
Captain  David  Gray.  The  uniform  of  the  company  was  "a 
long-tailed  blue  coat,  with  lapels  trimmed  with  buff,  dark 
pants,  and  a  chapeau  in  the  shape  of  a  half-moon."  "Corporal 
Manning"  we  are  told,  ''^magnified  his  office^  having  all  the 
pride  of  a  military  man,  but  his  short  stature  causing  his  coat- 
tails  to  come  down  to  his  knees,  and  his  top-heavy  chapeau  and 
long  black  plume  tipped  with  red,  made  him  a  comical  looking 
object,"  especially  when  he  marched  with  "peculiar  strut 
consequent  upon  the  high  and  important  office  of  corporal, 
a  title  which  he  bore  many  years  after  his  military  life  had 
ended." 

Unfortunately,  in  his  later  years.  Corporal  Manning 
became  somewhat  addicted  to  intemperance.  He  gave  up  his 
regular  business  and  lived  upon  the  small  competence  which 
he  had  laid  up,  and,  when  this  failed,  upon  the  gratuitous 
contributions  of  his  friends.  At  one  time  he  had  a  corner  and 
a  shelf  in  one  of  the  printing-offices  where  he  made  repairs  in 
the  clothing  of  chance  customers;  but  he  spent  much  of  his 
time  in  visiting  at  the  stores  and  offices  on  the  business  street. 
Wherever  he  went,  he  was  kindly  welcomed.  A  chair  in  a 
warm  corner  was  always  waiting  for  "Uncle  Sammy,"  who,  it 
must  be  admitted,  did  not  make  his  visits  over-long  or  permit 
himself  to  become  a  bore. 

The  printing-offices  were  "Uncle  Sammy's"  favorite  resort. 
Here  he  seems  to  have  constituted  himself  a  sort  of  Scotch 
^*Lob-lie-by-the-fire,"  foj-  whenever  he  saw  a  garment  that 
needed  mending  or  a  place  where  a  button  should  be 
sewed  on,  he  quietly  and  skilfully  made  the  necessary  repairs, 
but  would  accept  no  remuneration  for  his  services.  Many 
an  apprentice  lad,  away  from  home,  with  no  mother's  hand  to 


Johnny  Stringer 


301 


mend  his  trousers,  was  indebted,  for  a  friendly  patch,  to  the 
needle  and  thread  of  the  once  proud  and  elegant  ''Corporal" 
Manning. 

Mr.  Manning  maintained  his  queue,  his  dignity,  his 
^  courtesy,  and  his  congenial  manners  until  the  time  of  his  death. 
W  He  was  never  married;  and  of  his  family  connections,  I  have 
been  able  to  learn  nothing  except  that  he  had  a  brother  in 
Boston  who  was  a  printer.  During  his  later  years,  when  his 
friends  feared  that  he  would  lose  his  entire  property  by  his 
habits  of  intemperance,  Mr.  Manning  was  placed  under  the 
guardianship  of  Mr.  Nathan  Bachelder.  This  so  injured  Mr. 
Manning's  sense  of  dignity  and  self-respect  that  he  would  not 
H^'  recognize  Mr.  Bachelder,  or  even  go  by  the  store  of  the  latter, 
often  making  a  detour  around  by  Second  Street  rather  than 
pass  by  Mr.  Bachelder's  door.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  three- 
score years  and  ten.  By  some  inexplicable  apotheosis, 
''Corporal"  Manning,  after  his  death,  became  "Captain" 
Manning;  and  his  tombstone  in  the  Hallowell  cemetery  bears 
this  remarkable  and  not  unenviable  inscription: 

Captain  Samuel  Manning 
B  Died  March  ist,  1842,  aged  70  years 

W.  An  Honest  Man. 

And  then  there  was  Johnny  Stringer!  Who  does  not  remem- 
ber Johnny  Stringer — the  queer  little  man  with  a  large  head 
and  body  set  upon  very  short  legs,  who  came  from  over  the 
sea  to  make  his  home  in  Hallowell  1  Johnny  Stringer  lived  in 
a  little  honse  up  on  Academy  Hill  where  he  earned  his  living 
by  making  and  rebottoming  chairs,  and  manufacturing  clothes- 
pins for  the  housekeepers  of  the  town.  He  often  appeared,  on 
Monday  morning,  with  a  big  basket  on  his  arm  offering  the 
clothespins  for  sale  at  the  opportune  hour  w/hen  they  were 
most  needed.  He  also  made  dolls'  cradles  and  bedsteads,  for 
the  children  of  the  town,  for  whom  he  also  always  had  a 
store  of  broken, — and  we  must  add,  to  be  truthful — very  dirty 
candy  in  his  pockets.  But  Johnny's  masterpieces  were  his 
chairs.  He  made  "big  ones  for  ladies,  and  little  ones  for 
babies;"  and  many  a  home  in  Hallowell  still  boasts  of  its 


302 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


"Johnny  Stringer  chair,"  which  is  regarded  as  a  precious 
heirloom. 

Johnny  Stringer  was  an  interesting  as  well  as  a  useful 
member  of  the  community.  He  possessed  unusual  intelligence, 
a  bright  mind,  and  very  ready  wit.  He  was  fond  of  jokes;  and 
merchants,  lawyers,  and  doctors  were  always  ready  for  a  chat  or 
a  tilt  of  words  with  Johnny.  He  was  a  constant  attendant  at 
the  "Old  South,"  where  Parson  Gillet  always  found  him  among 
his  most  attentive  and  appreciative  listeners. 

Nor  had  Johnny's  life  been  without  its  romance,  albeit  of 
rather  a  sombre  hue.  Soon  after  he  came  to  this  country,  a 
small  fortune  fell  to  him  from  his  English  relatives,  and  he 
returned  to  England  for  his  patrimony.  On  the  way  back  to 
America,  the  vessel  in  which  he  sailed  was  overhauled  by  some 
French  craft  and  all  his  money  taken.  This  would  not  have 
been  so  bad  for  a  man  of  Johnny's  optimistic  nature;  but 
unfortunately  the  lady  who  had  smiled  upon  Johnny  when  he 
was  rich,  refused  to  marry  him  when  he  became  poor;  and 
perhaps  it  was  the  story  of  this  double  tragedy  that  helped  to 
make  so  warm  a  place  for  the  sunny-hearted  old  chair-maker 
among  his  friends  and  neighbors. 

Another  character,  of  an  original  type,  was  Jack  Agry, 
who  was  called  the  "Walking  Street-Thermometer."  This 
highly  reputable  gentleman  had  an  unusual  dread  of  the  cold. 
He  was  a  "great  reader,"  and  loved  his  seat  by  the  chimney 
corner.  When  he  ventured  out  in  winter  he  wore  a  long 
colonial  overcoat,  big  thick  mittens,  and  a  cloth  cap  pulled 
down  over  his  ears.  It  is  said  that  people  used  to  tell  the 
temperature  by  the  manner  in  which  Jack  Agry  carried  his 
arms.  In  warm  weather,  he  permitted  them  to  hang  down 
naturally  at  his  side;  but  with  increasing  coldness,  he  raised 
them  higher  and  higher,  holding  them  sometimes  akimbo, 
and  sometimes  folded  at  his  back.  At  one  time  Jack  Agry 
kept  a  store;  and  on  one  cold  January  morning  he  found  the 
huge  keyhole  of  the  door  filled  with  ice.  After  several 
ineffectual  efforts  to  insert  the  ponderous  key  in  order  to 
unlock  the  door,  this  enterprising  business  man  remarked, 
"I  guess  July  will  give  her  a  sweat!"  and  went  home  to  wait  for 


The  Beldens 


303 


a  thaw.  It  was  said  that,  from  that  frigid  day,  Jack  Agry 
never  went  back  to  his  place  of  business. 

Another  incomprehensible  piece  of  humanity  was  William 
Kendall,  "the  man  who  never  worked."  Kendall  was  the  son 
of  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  and  wealthiest  men 
of  the  town.  In  his  youth  he  was  a  spendthrift,  and  on  one 
occasion,  when  his  father  refused  to  furnish  him  with  money 
for  some  business  enterprise,  for  which  he  was  not  deemed 
competent,  the  angry  son  vowed  that  he  would  never  do 
a  stroke  of  work  so  long  as  his  father  lived.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem,  he  kept  his  word.  He  secluded  himself  in  his  room  dur- 
ing the  day,  and  at  night  "would  savagely  roam  the  streets 
exercising  his  lungs  with  wild  terrific  yells  that  would  fain  have 
made  a  Sioux  Indian  turn  pale  with  envy."  Why  the  town 
authorities  permitted  this  disturbance  of  the  peace  is  not 
explained.  Kendall  received  the  sobriquet  of  "Howling  Bill," 
or  the  "Earthquake;"  and  continued  to  indulge  in  this 
nocturnal  pastime  until  he  was  weary  of  it.  He  lived  the  life 
of  a  recluse  for  twenty  years ;  and  then,  on  the  burial-day  of  his 
father,  he  emerged  from  his  seclusion.  His  hair  was  long,  his 
beard  reached  nearly  to  his  waist,  and  his  shapely  hands,  on 
one  of  which  he  wore  a  very  handsome  seal  ring,  were  as  white 
and  delicate  as  those  of  a  lady.  His  mind  had  not  been  left 
uncultivated;  he  had  read  much,  and  was  a  brilliant  conver- 
sationalist. With  all  his  peculiarities,  he  was  apparently  a 
kind-hearted  man.  He  possessed  unusual  adaptability  in  caring 
for  invalids,  and  was  always  glad  to  give  his  services  to  the 
sick.  For  a  number  of  years,  he  was  employed  by  the  town  as 
night  watchman,  and,  by  a  curious  irony  of  fate,  was  required 
to  expend  his  energies  in  suppressing  other  "howling  Bills" 
and  small  "earthquakes"  that  strove  to  emulate  his  own  earlier 
example.  / 

Of  quite  another  type,  and  one  peculiarly  their  own,  were 
Jonathan  and  Louisa  Belden.  The  Beldens  came  of  clerical 
ancestry.  They  were  the  son  and  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Belden,  both  of  whom  were  characterized  by  some 
remarkable  mental  endowments  combined  with  a  naive  sim- 
plicity of  mind.    Their  children  evidently  inherited  the  same 


304  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

peculiarities.  But  whatever  the  members  of  this  family  lacked 
in  brilliancy  they  made  up  in  piety  and  long  prayers.  Fifty- 
five  minutes  by  the  clock  was  not  an  infrequent  time  limit,  for 
one  of  Mrs.  Belden's  invocations  at  the  women's  meetings. 
The  daughter,  Louisa,  was  gifted  with  remarkable  powers 
of  memory;  and  she  was  often  able  to  repeat  verbatim  long 
passages  from  the  sermons  to  which  she  listened  with  rapt 
attention  on  the  Sabbath.  Jonathan  first  aspired  to  be  a 
minister,  like  his  father,  but  did  not  receive  sufficient  encour- 
agement from  the  church.  He  then  aspired  to  be  a  poet;  and 
day  after  day,  and  month  after  month,  he  wrestled  with  the 
muses.  At  last,  as  tradition  saith,  Jonathan  entered  his 
chamber,  closed  the  door,  and  vowed  a  solemn  vow  that  he 
would  neither  eat  nor  sleep  until  he  had  made  poetry.  The 
family  waited  with  bated  breath  without.  Noontide  came, 
but  with  no  sign  from  within.  The  afternoon  waned,  the  sun 
went  down  behind  the  heights  of  Powder  House  hill ;  but  no 
one  dared  to  break  the  spell  that  bound  the  poet's  soul.  For 
an  hour,  a  cheerless  supper  remained  untasted  upon  the 
Belden's  board.  Then,  suddenly,  the  door  was  flung  open  and 
the  poet  emerged  radiant  and  triumphant,  wildly  waving  a 
sheet  of  paper  on  which  was  written  this  Walt-Whitmanesque 
stanza : 

*'Up  in  the  morn  like  the  hopper-grass! 
Down  at  the  eve  like  the  sparrow-grass!" 

Jonathan  had  made  poetry ! 

A  more  pathetically  interesting  man  was  Putnam,  the 
inventor,  who  sat  in  his  little  shop  and  worked  all  day,  and  far 
into  the  night,  on  a  mysterious  piece  of  machinery  which  no 
one  was  ever  permitted  to  examine.  There  were  certain  weird 
and  uncanny  impressions  abroad,  which  were  doubtless 
entirely  unwarranted,  concerning  this  harmless  dreamer  of 
dreams,  in  which  wheels  and  axles  and  endless  bands  never 
ceased  to  go  round;  but  even  the  children  on  their  way 
to  school  would  peer  into  his  window  and  remember  how  some- 
body said  old  Putnam  had  invented  perpetual  motion,  and  was, 

perhaps,  in  league  with  the  sh!    And  then  they  would 

scuttle  away  in  terror. 


Old  Dr.  Smith 


305 


Very  eccentric,  too,  was  old  Dr.  Smith,  the  water-cure 
physician,  whose  method,  hke  the  one  described  by  Charles 
Lamb,  was  "as  old  as  the  flood,"  and,  like  that  universal 
hydropathic  remedy,  probably  "killed  more  than  it  ciired."  Dr. 
Weld  also  was  a  man  of  marked  characteristics.  He  always 
drove  in  a  chaise  with  its  top  painted  white,  that  his  coming 
might  be  noted  afar  off.  At  the  house  of  Dr.  Weld,  one  might 
often  have  met  the  Grimkies,  who  were  very  "decided  char- 
acters," and  "great  abolition  women."  Besides  all  these 
there  was  old  Parsons,  the  junk-dealer,  whose  motto  was, 
"Pay  to-day  and  trust  to-morrow;  and  the  curious  old  man 
who  used  to  come  from  Boston  every  summer,  never  tell- 
ing his  true  name  but  always  insisting  that  he  was  Plutarch 
Bonaparte  General  De  Grand. 

No  less  interesting  was  the  village  tailoress  who  went 
about  from  house  to  house,  making  new  garments  or  "cutting 
over"  old  ones;  and  whose  life-work  was  commemorated  by  this 
inscription  on  her  tombstone : 

Miss  Mary  Pratt 
Died  Feb.  10,  1842 

Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  upright; 
for  the  end  of  that  man  is  peace. 

And  then  there  was  Lize  Cripps — poor  old  Lize  Cripps, 
with  her  skimpy  gown,  and  her  hair  done  up  in  a  tight  little  bob 
with  ends  sticking  out  like  wisps  of  straw.  If  anybody  in  those 
old  days  looked  particularly  forlorn  and  distracted,  they  were 
commonly  said  to  look  "worse  than  old  Lize  Cripps!"  Lize 
was  a  little,  blink-eyed  woman,  who  walked  lame,  and  always 
wore  her  apron  when  on  the  street.  She  was  fond  of  calling 
on  everybody,  and  was  an  inveterate  beggar,  and  quite  fastid- 
ious as  to  what  she  accepted.  She  did  not  hesi/tate  to  express 
her  views  on  any  subject  however  personal,  aAd  yet  she  was 
kindly  treated  by  everyone  and  very  patiently  tolerated. 

The  matrimonial  experience  of  Lize  had  been  varied  and 
extensive.  She  didn't  see  why  so  many  folks  couldn't  get 
husbands ;  she  had  had  four  herself,  and  found  it  easy  enough 
to  get  them.    The  first  was  Pollard.    He  "did  pretty  well," 


3o6 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Lize  said.  The  second  was  Butler;  he  was  "no  good;"  the 
third,  Dorerthy,  she  "left  with  the  Lord;"  and  the  last  one, 
Johnny  Watson,  she  was  still  "trying  to  get  along  with." 

For  a  long  time  Lize  was  employed  as  a  cook  in  the 
Cheever  family.  She  was  a  good  cook,  but  she  was  a  perfect 
"Mrs.  Malaprop"  in  the  use  of  English.  She,  one  day,  an- 
nounced to  the  guests  at  a  dinner-party  given  by  Mrs.  Cheever, 
that  she  had  made  them  a  "most  malicious  pudding."  At 
another  time,  she  remarked  that  "the  popularity  of  the  beans 
took  away  the  superfluity  of  the  meat."  Poor  old  Lize 
Cripps,  who  bore  her  maiden  name  all  her  life,  notwithstand- 
ing her  four  marriages,  at  last  died  in  the  alms-house,  still 
"trying  to  get  along"  with  Johnny  Watson. 

To  these  individual  examples,  should  be  added  the  quaint, 
old-fashioned  society  ladies  with  their  antique  party-gowns  of 
dotted  muslin  or  green  ber^ge  festooned  with  ruffles  of  pink 
satin ;  the  wives  of  the  rich  sea-captains,  in  their  velvets,  laces, 
and  Canton  crepe  shawls;  the  jolly  inn-keepers^  the  esthetic 
law-students;  the  bronzed  sailors,  from  foreign  ports,  with  gold 
rings  in  their  ears;  the  prim,  immaculate  village  milliner, 
whose  fashionable  bonnets,  with  their  upright  ostrich  plumes 
and  precise  bow-knots,  nodded  to  one  another  familiarly  upon 
the  street;  the  impoverished  gentlewoman  who  "went  out 
washing;"  the  crabbed  old  man  from  "out  over  the  hills;"  the 
blooming  country  matrons  that  came  to  meetin'  every  Sunday 
in  their  best  attire ;  and  the  long  line  of  saintly  single  women 
that  filed,  like  vestal  nuns,  up  the  Old  South  minster  aisles. 
All  these,  and  many  more,  had  their  own  niches  in  the  social 
structure  of  Old  Hallowell,  and  contributed  to  the  dramatic 
interest  of  the  community.  Could  they  now  step  forth  from 
their  places,  we  should  have  a  motley  pageant  of  prim,  elegant, 
angular,  crude,  racy,  romantic,  pathetically  incongruous, 
and  unconsciously  irrelevant  figures,  but  all  sound  at  heart, 
and  illustrative  of  life  in  this  old  town  on  the  Kennebec. 


Governor  John  Hubbard 


XIX 


HALLOWELL'S  "CHIEF  CITIZENS" 
I 

Governor  John  Hubbard. 

"His  whole  life  was  one  of  beneficent  labor." 

— In  Memoriam,  by  Rev.  A.  R.  Crane. 

HE  supreme  honor,  within  the  power  of  the  people  of 
Maine  to  bestow,  has  twice  been  conferred  upon 
citizens  of  Hallowell.  From  1850  to  1852,  Dr.  John 
Hubbard  was  Governor  of  Maine;  and  from  1886  to 
the  close  of  1887,  Honorable  Joseph  R.  Bodwell  served  as  Chief 
Magistrate  of  the  State.  Both  of  these  men  filled  this  high 
office  with  distinction  to  themselves,  to  the  State,  and  to  the 
town  that  proudly  claimed  each,  in  turn,  as  its  chief  citizen. 

Governor  John  Hubbard  came  of  excellent  old  Puritan 
stock.  His  ancestry  has  been  traced  back  to  Richard  Hubbard 
of  Salisbury,  who  married,  about  1666,  Martha  Allen,  born 
1646,  daughter  of  William  and  Ann  Goodale  Allen.  The 
parents  of  John  Hubbard  were  Dr.  John  and  Olive  Wilson 
Hubbard  who  came  from  Kingston,  New  Hampshire,  to  Read- 
field,  Maine,  in  1784.  Dr.  John  Hubbard,  Jr.,  was  born  in 
Readfield,  March  22,  1794.  He  fitted  for  college  at  the  Hal- 
lowell and  Monmouth  academies,  and  by  his  excellent  scholar- 
ship and  advanced  study  was  able  to  enter  the  sophomore 
class,  at  Dartmouth,  from  which  famous  old  college  he 
graduated  in  1616.  In  1817-1818,  he  was  ^preceptor  at  the 
Hallowell  Academy,  and  afterwards,  a  teacher  in  the  state  of 
Virginia.  He  subsequently  took  a  full  course  in  the  study  of 
medicine  at  the  Philadelphia  Medical  School  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  received  his  diplomas  as  Doctor  of 
Medicine  and  Fellow  of  the  Philadelphia  Medical  School  in 
April,  1822. 


3o8  ^       Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 

Thus  well  equipped,  by  broad  culture  and  a  thorough 
medical  course,  for  his  chosen  profession,  Dr.  Hubbard 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  in  the  State  of  Virginia, 
and  remained  there  in  successful  practice  for  seven  years. 
Having  then  decided  to  make  his  home  in  the  North,  he  spent 
a  year  in  study  in  the  medical  schools  and  hospitals  of  Philadel- 
phia "under  the  direction  of  those  skillful  physicians  and 
expert  operators  whose  fame  attracted  pupils  from  all  parts  of 
the  country." 

That  so  able  and  eminent  a  physician,  who  had  been  urged 
by  his  friends  and  instructors  to  settle  in  Philadelphia,  should 
decide  to  make  his  home  in  Hallowell,  seems  only  in  accordance 
with  that  remarkable  good  fortune  of  the  old  town  to  which 
so  many  good  and  great  men  were  irresistibly  drawn ;  and  no 
one  of  our  honored  citizens  has  been  more  beloved  in  the  com- 
munity or  has  bestowed  greater  distinction  on  the  town  than 
Dr.  John  Hubbard. 

It  is  now  impossible,  even  by  those  who  knew  him  and  who 
cherish  most  grateful  memories  of  his  personal  ministrations 
and  professional  services,  to  give  an  adequate  expression  of  the 
honor  and  esteem  in  which  Dr.  Hubbard  was  h.eld  by  his 
townspeople,  or  the  perfect  confidence  with  which  the  sick 
were  entrusted  to  the  care  of  this  beloved  family  physician. 
There  are  many  men  and  women  still  living  who  will  under- 
stand all  that  is  implied  when  I  say  that  as  children  we  always 
felt  safe  as  soon  as  Dr.  Hubbard  entered  our  doors.  In  the 
presence  of  this  great,  broad-shouldered,  noble-featured,  large- 
hearted,  sympathetic,  experienced,  all-knowing  physician, 
there  was  that  comfort,  trust,  good  cheer,  and  sense  of  security 
that  is  often  worth  more  than  medicine;  but  we  had  the 
medicine,  too,  and  bitter  enough  it  was  sometimes. 

One  of  Dr.  Hubbard's  biographers  states  that  his  physical 
endurance  was  wonderful  and  that  the  amount  of  labor  he 
performed  would  have  taxed  the  energies  of  three  ordinary 
men.  He  responded  promptly  and  cheerfully  to  all  calls, 
whatever  the  weather,  or  whatever  the  hour  of  the  day  or 
night.  In  summer,  the  doctor's  **gig,"  and,  in  winter,  the  great 
fur-coated  figure  in  the  sleigh,  were  a  familiar  sight  upon  the 


Governor  John  Hubbard 


309 


streets  of  Hallowell.  He  visited  the  poor  as  willingly  and 
faithfully  as  the  rich ;  and  much  of  his  professional  service  was 
gratuitously  given,  with  no  expectation  or  desire  of  reward. 

With  all  his  courtesy  and  kindhness  of  heart,  Dr.  Hubbard 
also  had  the  reputation  of  being  stern  and  severe  when  justice 
was  required;  and  decision  of  character  and  promptness  of 
action  were  among  his  prominent  traits.  A  very  good  illustra- 
tion of  the  latter  characteristic  is  given  in  an  anecdote  which 
has  come  down  to  us  on  the  breath  of  local  tradition.  It  is 
related  that,  on  one  occasion,  when  Dr.  Hubbard  was  driving 
late  at  night  over  a  lonely  road,  he  was  stopped  by  two 
ruffians  with  the  sudden  and  imperious  demand:  ''Your 
money  or  your  life!"  Instantly,  before  a  word  could  be  said  in 
reply,  the  big  doctor  rose  in  his  sleigh  and  seizing  the  two 
men,  he  knocked  their  heads  together  with  the  most  tremen- 
dous force;  then  calmly  drove  on  leaving  his  two  assailants  to 
diagnose  their  own  cases  of  concussion  of  the  brain. 

From  a  professional  standpoint.  Dr.  Hubbard's  life-work  . 
holds  the  highest  rank.  His  practice  was  very  extensive ;  his 
opinions  were  regarded  of  the  highest  authority;  and  he  was 
sought  in  consultation  by  the  most  skillful  physicians  in  Maine 
and  in  the  neighboring  states.  His  devotion  to  his  profession 
was  intense  and  unremitting;  and  his  judgment,  well  nigh 
infallible. 

Thus,  by  natural  qualifications,  by  education,  and  by  years 
of  experience.  Dr.  Hubbard  attained  a  position  at  the  very 
head  of  his  profession ;  and  his  reputation  as  a  physician  was 
unrivaled  in  his  day. 

With  all  these  arduous  professional  duties,  Dr.  Hubbard 
did  not  overlook  the  important  civic  and  political  questions  of 
the  time.  He  was  a  public-spirited  citizen,  an  ardent  patriot, 
and  a  wise  and  conscientious  statesman.  T^e  value  of  his 
principles,  his  force  of  character,  and  his  executive  ability  were 
recognized  by  the  county  and  state.  In  1843,  Dr.  Hubbard 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  Senate  from  Kennebec;  and  in 
1850,  the  honor  of  the  chief  magistracy  was  conferred  upon 
him.  He  was  elected  Governor  for  two  successive  terms;  and 
manifested  in  this  office  the  same  sound  sense,  keenness  of 


310 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


discernment,  breadth  of  outlook,  and  loyalty  to  the  public  weal 
that  had  characterized  his  professional  life. 

The  public  career  of  Governor  Hubbard,  like  his  private 
life,  was  marked  by  the  strictest  integrity  and  unswerving 
devotion  to  duty.  To  him  is  due  the  honor  of  having  approved, 
as  Governor,  the  first  prohibitory  law  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  Maine.  A  contemporary  writer  has  well  said  that, 
as  the  chief  magistrate  of  Maine,  Governor  Hubbard  "hesitated 
not  to  throw  all  of  his  influence,  personal  and  official,  in  aid 
of  all  measures  calculated  to  improve  the  condition  of  the 
people,  and  develop  the  resources  of  the  state;"  and  that  "the 
people  of  Maine  will  ever  remember  him  with  pride  and  honor, 
as  an  able,  honest,  efficient  chief  magistrate  'whose  adminis- 
tration marked  an  important  era  in  the  history  of  the  State.'  " 

On  August  24,  1850,  Governor  and  Mrs.  Hubbard  gave  a 
large  and  magnificent  reception,  which  was  long  remembered 
by  the  people ;  and  this  brilliant  social  event  formed  a  fitting 
climax  to  the  remarkable  society  life  of  the  previous  half- 
century  in  the  town  of  Hallowell. 

"The  reception,"  wrote  the  editor  of  the  Gazette,  "came 
off  at  the  Hallowell  House  on  Friday  evening,  and  such  a 
display  of  beauty  and  such  exuberance  of  good  feeling  and 
good  cheer  were  never  known  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec. 
About  one  thousand  persons  were  present.  The  rooms  and 
hall  of  the  Hallowell  House  were  brilliantly  lighted  and 
decorated,  and  a  band  of  music  discoursed  on  the  balcony. 
Most  of  the  members  of  the  Legislature  were  present, — large 
delegations  from  the  cities  of  Augusta  and  Gardiner,  and  an 
astonishing  number  of  citizens,  wives,  daughters,  maids,  and 
aunts,  of  the  town  of  Hallowell. 

"Governor  Hubbard  and  family  occupied  the  large  parlor 
in  the  south  part  of  the  house,  and  the  company  paid  their 
respects  to  him  and  family,  separately,  occupying  some  two 
hours  in  the  exchange  of  salutations.  The  large  house  was 
filled  to  an  extent  never  known  before  and  all  the  arrange- 
ments were  of  the  most  perfect  description.  The  persons  who 
had  charge  of  the  affair  and  those  connected  with  the  house 
are  entitled  to  much  credit.     It  will  long  be  remembered  as  a 


Governor  John  Hubbard 


311 


season  of  social  joy  and  happiness,  and  will  serve  to  render  still 
stronger  the  regard  of  this  community  for  our  distinguished 
fellow-citizen  who  has  been  promoted  to  the  highest  office  in 
the  gift  of  the  people  of  this  state." 

Governor  John  Hubbard  died  February  6,  1869,  in  the 
seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age;  and  public  services  befitting  his 
character  and  position  in  the  community  were  held  in  the 
Baptist  Church  at  HallowelL  A  funeral  address  was  delivered 
by  Rev.  A.  R.  Crane,  commemorating  the  virtues  of  the  de- 
ceased as  citizen,  physician,  and  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  State; 
and  at  the  close  of  the  solemn  and  impressive  services,  the 
body  of  him  who  had  been  so  deeply  beloved  and  revered 
was  followed  by  a  long  procession  of  mourners  to  the  grave. 
His  burial  place  is  marked  by  a  shaft  of  granite  hewn  from 
the  Hallowell  hills. 

Dr.  John  Hubbard  married,  July  12,  1825,  Sarah  Barrett, 
daughter  of  Oliver  and  Elizabeth  Carleton  Barrett  of  Dresden, 
Maine.  Their  home  in  Hallowell  was  on  Winthrop  Street,  in 
the  well-known  Hubbard  house  whose  simple,  chaste,  unosten- 
tatious, and  hospitable  exterior  was  indicative  of  the  family  life 
within. 

Mrs.  Hubbard  was  a  woman  of  rare  intelligence,  quick 
perceptions,  and  warm  sympathies.  She  was  social  in  tempera- 
ment, devoted  to  her  family  and  friends,  and  interested  in  all 
that  is  best  in  life.  She  had  an  especial  fondness  for  the 
young,  entered  into  their  plans,  and  enjoyed  their  companion- 
ship. They,  in  turn,  confided  to  her  their  joys  and  sorrows 
and  seemed  to  forget  the  difference  of  age.  Perhaps  it  was 
this  which,  as  the  years  wore  on,  kept  alive  in  her  the  spirit  of 
youth.  "I  shall  not  be  like  you  when  I  am  ninety,  if  I  live  to 
that  age,"  a  friend  many  years  her  junior  once  said  to  her. 
**You  will  never  be  old!"  and  in  mind  and  heart  she  never  was. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hubbard  were  the  parents  of  six  children. 
Hester  Ann,  the  oldest  was  born  in  Dinwiddle  County,  Vir- 
ginia, February  13,  1827,  and  died  in  Hallowell,  Maine,  July 
21,  1836.  A  son,  born  in  Dinwiddle  County,  Virginia,  January 
21,  1829,  died  in  infancy.  The  four  remaining  children  who 
were  born  and  reared  in  the  favored  Hubbard  home  in  Hal- 


312 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


lowell  were :  Virginia  Hamlin,  Emma  Gardiner,  John  Barrett, 
and  Thomas  Hamhn.  The  sons  were  instructed  in  all  manly 
sports  and  the  occupations  of  healthful  out-of-doors  life,  and 
the  daughters  were  trained  in  the  perfection  of  household 
accomplishments.  Their  mental  culture  was  also  carefully 
developed  and  they  enjoyed  every  educational  advantage  which 
the  best  schools  of  the  country  afforded. 

Virginia  Hamlin  Hubbard  was  married  August  24,  1864, 
to  Thomas  W.  T.  Curtis,  a  resident  at  that  time  of  Hartford, 
Connecticut.  Mr.  Curtis  was  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and 
a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College  in  the  class  of  1844.  Having 
chosen  the  profession  of  teaching,  he  became  successively  the 
principal  of  the  Oliver  High  School,  Lawrence,  Massachusetts, 
of  the  High  School  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  of  a  large  private 
school  in  Hartford,  and,  for  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  of 
the  Hillhouse  High  School,  New  Haven,  Connecticut.  He 
died  in  New  Haven,  March  5,  1888.  A  man  of  broad  scholar- 
ship and  cultured  tastes,  he  fashioned  his  life  in  accordance 
with  high  ideals  and  won  an  enviable  rank  in  his  profession. 

It  is,  perhaps,  a  fact  of  interest  that  the  father  of  Mr. 
Curtis,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Curtis,  also  a  Dartmouth  graduate, 
was  for  a  time  preceptor  of  the  Hallowell  Academy,  and  that 
Dr.  John  Hubbard  was  one  of  his  pupils. 

Mrs.  Virginia  Hubbard  Curtis  has  continued  to  reside  in 
New  Haven  since  her  husband's  death.  Their  two  sons  were 
graduated  from  Yale  University  in  the  class  of  1887.  The 
elder,  John  Hubbard,  died  January  13,  1898.  The  younger, 
Thomas  Hamlin,  resides  in  Portland,  Oregon.  He  married, 
June  4,  1907,  Clarine  Wells,  only  child  of  Burton  G.  Warner  of 
New  Haven.  They  have  one  daughter,  Virginia  Hubbard, 
born  September  16,  1908. 

The  memory  of  Miss  Emma  Hubbard  is  still  tenderly 
cherished  by  the  friends  of  her  youth  in  Hallowell.  She  was 
endowed  with  rare  personal  charms,  a  queenly  figure,  and  face 
of  classic  beauty.  Her  loveliness  of  character,  her  winning 
personality,  and  her  brilliant  intellectual  gifts  rendered  her 
beloved  and  admired  by  all  who  knew  her.  She  died  in  New 
York,  February  12th,  1877,  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


Captain  John  Hubbard 


Governor  John  Hubba7'd 


313 


The  two  sons  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hubbard,  John  Barrett  and 
Thomas  Hamlin  Hubbard,  took  their  preparatory  course  of 
study  at  the  Hallowell  Academy,  and  afterwards  graduated 
with  honor  from  Bowdoin  College.  For  a  few  years  they  both 
engaged  in  teaching  preparatory  to  their  professional  life-work. 
But  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  terminated  these  plans,  and 
John  and  Thomas  Hubbard  were  among  the  first  of  the  many 
noble  and  patriotic  young  men  who  were  fired  with  an  ardent 
enthusiasm  for  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  who  served  in  the 
armies  of  the  United  States. 

On  entering  the  army,  John  Hubbard  received  the  com- 
mission of  First  Lieutenant  in  the  First  Maine  Battery. 
Later  he  was  commissioned  by  the  United  States  as  Captain 
and  Assistant  Adjutant  General,  and  served  as  Chief  of  Staff 
of  General  Godfrey  Weitzel.  He  was  a  brave  and  devoted 
officer  and  was  adored  by  his  comrades  in  arms.  He  met  with 
a  soldier's  death  at  the  first  assault  on  Port  Hudson,  May 
27th,  1863. 

The  news  of  the  death  of  John  Hubbard  was  received  in 
Hallowell  with  overwhelming  sorrow.  His  name  is  still  held  in 
honored  remembrance  by  the  John  Hubbard  Army  Post,  and 
by  all  who  knew  him,  whether  in  civil  or  military  life.  He  was 
a  noble  youth, — the  heart  of  valor  and  the  soul  of  honor.  He 
may  well  be  called  the  Chevalier  Bayard  of  Hallowell, — ''with- 
out fear,  and  without  reproach." 

Captain  John  Hubbard,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was 
betrothed  to  a  very  beautiful  young  lady.  Miss  Cordelia 
Chadwick,  daughter  of  Samuel  Chad  wick  of  Portland.  Just 
before  the  battle  of  Port  Hudson,  Captain  Hubbard  had  arranged 
for  leave  of  absence  in  order  to  return  to  Maine  for  his  marriage 
with  Miss  Chadwick.  A  few  days  later  came  the  news  of  his 
heroic  yet  tragic  death;  and  thus,  around  the^'story  of  his  be- 
trothal, there  ever  lingers  a  halo  of  mingled  pathos  and  romance. 
Miss  Chadwick  was  a  rarely  gifted  and  most  attractive  woman 
who  found  consolation  for  her  own  crushing  sorrow  in  doing 
whatever  lay  in  her  power  for  the  happiness  of  those  she  loved. 
During  the  last  years  of  her  life  she  resided  with  Mrs.  Virginia 
Curtis  at  New  Haven,  and  frequently  came  with  her  to  spend 


314  Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


the  summer  months  in  Hallowell  where  she  was  much  admired 
and  beloved. 

Thomas  H.  Hubbard,  prior  to  the  war,  had  graduated  from 
the  law  school  at  Albany  and  had  been  admitted  to  the  New 
York  bar;  but,  in  1862,  he  enHsted  in  the  Union  army.  He 
was  Adjutant  of  the  25th  Maine  Volunteers,  and  afterwards 
Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Colonel  of  the  30th  Maine  Volunteers. 
He  distinguished  himself  by  his  bravery  and  brilliant  services, 
and  was  brevetted  Brigadier  General,  July  13th,  1865.  He 
fought  valiantly  in  the  battles  of  the  Red  River  campaign  and 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  under  General  Phil  Sheridan;  and 
was  mustered  out  of  service  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  then  resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  New  York  and  has 
become  well  known  in  his  profession,  and  as  an  official  of 
railroad  and  banking  corporations. 

But  it  is  here  fitting  to  speak  in  detail  only  of  the  connec- 
tion of  General  Hubbard  with  the  interests  of  our  own  state 
and  community.  To  his  munificence,  Bowdoin  College  is 
indebted  for  its  incomparable  Library  building,  and  for  other 
generous  gifts  which  have  been  gratefully  and  enthusiastically 
received  by  his  Alma  Mater.  To  him  the  Hallowell  Library 
owes  the  very  generous  endowment  by  which,  in  1893,  this 
time-honored  institution  was  enabled  to  enlarge  its  granite 
edifice  and  open  its  doors  as  a  free  library.  Its  present  name, 
"The  Hubbard  Free  Library,"  has  been  given  in  memory  of 
the  Hubbard  family. 

General  Thomas  Hubbard  married  Sibyl  A.  Fahnestock 
of  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  January  28th,  1868.  Their  sur- 
viving children  are  John  Hubbard,  Sibyl  Emma  Hubbard,  now 
Mrs.  Herbert  S.  Darlington  of  Philadelphia,  and  Anna  Weir 
Hubbard.  A  son,  born  in  New  York  November  21,  1871,  died 
December  9th,  1871.  Another  son,  Thomas  Hamlin,  born  in 
New  York,  July  30,  1874,  died  March  7,  1879. 

General  Hubbard  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Virginia  H.  Curtis, 
have  always  retained  their  affection  for  Hallowell,  as  is  shown 
by  their  personal  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  present 
advancement  of  the  place,  or  to  the  preservation  of  the  records 
of  its  historic  past.   Their  early  home,  which  they  frequently 


Governor  Joseph  R.  Bodweli. 


Governor  Joseph  R.  Bo  dwell 


315 


visit,  still  stands  beneath  its  majestic  elms  with  an  air  of 
unmoved,  old-time  superiority,  based  on  simple  worth  and  un- 
blemished character, — a  fitting  expression  of  the  name  and 
fame  of  the  family  of  Hubbard. 

II 

Governor  Joseph  R.  Bodwell. 

"Yet  how  better  can  a  man  die  than  in  the  flower  of  a  well- 
spent  life  and  at  the  topmost  pinnacle  of  his  success?" 

— In  Memory  of  Governor  Bodwell. 

A  generation  passed  after  the  death  of  Governor  Hubbard, 
and  there  arose  in  Hallowell  a  second  man,  '  good,  wise,  and 
strong,  a  fearless  champion  of  the  right,  a  philanthropic  citizen, 
an  efficient,  faithful,  and  incorruptible  administrator  of  the 
law,  on  whom  the  people  proudly  bestowed  the  office  of  Chief 
Magistrate  of  the  State  of  Maine.  This  man  was  Joseph  R. 
Bodwell. 

Governor  Joseph  R.  Bodwell  was  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Mary  How  Bodwell.  He  was  born  June  18,  181 8,  at  Methuen, 
Massachusetts,  in  an  old  colonial  mansion  that  had  been 
occupied  by  five  generations  of  the  Bodwell  family.  The 
Bodwells  of  Methuen  were  descended  from  Henry  Bodwell, 
who  took  the  freeman's  oath  in  Newbury,  in  1678,  and  who  is 
on  record  as  a  soldier  in  King  Philip's  war.  In  1693,  Henry 
Bodwell  removed  to  Haverhill  on  the  Merrimack,  where 
Bodwell's  F'erry  and  Bodwell's  Falls  still  commemorate  his 
name.  The  descendants  of  Henry  Bodwell  in  this  country 
were  men  of  ability  and  influence,  and  were  characterized  by 
the  best  qualities  of  New  England  manhood./  It  is  also  in- 
teresting to  know  that,  centuries  before  the  l^ime  of  the  first 
comers  to  this  country,  there  was  a  long  and  honorable  line  of 

^  The  Honorable  Samuel  Wells  has  sometimes  been  classed  with  the  Governors 
given  by  Hallowell  to  the  State;  but  Judge  Wells,  although  for  a  number  of  years  an 
honored  resident  of  Hallowell,  was,  at  the  time  of  his  election  to  the  office  of  Gov- 
ernor, a  citizen  of  Portland. 


3i6 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Bodwells,  who  ''trace  their  record  through  thirty-four  genera- 
tions, back  to  Cunnedda,  the  Roman  general  who  conquered 
North  Wales,  A.  D.  500." 

The  childhood  of  Joseph  R.  Bodwell  was  passed  upon 
the  ancestral  acres  of  the  Bodwell  farm  in  Methuen.  His 
youth  and  early  manhood  were  spent  in  acquiring  a  practical 
knowledge  of  the  business  pursuits  through  which  he  made  the 
great  financial  successes  of  his  life.  He  married,  first,  October 
3,  1848,  Eunice,  daughter  of  Josiah  and  Hannah  Austin  Fox  of 
Dracut,  Massachusetts;  and,  second,  July  25,  1859,  Hannah  C. 
Fox,  the  sister  of  his  first  wife.  The  only  child  of  the  first 
marriage  was  Persis  Mary  Bodwell,  who  married,  first,  Rev. 
Jotham  M.  Paine  of  Hallowell;  and,  second.  Dr.  George  W. 
Martin  of  Augusta.  Of  the  second  marriage  of  Joseph  R. 
Bodwell,  was  born  one  son,  the  Honorable  Joseph  F.  Bodwell, 
now  President  of  the  Hallowell  Granite  Works.  Mr.  Charles 
Bodwell  Paine,  son  of  Rev.  Jotham  and  Persis  M.  Paine,  is  the 
only  descendant  in  his  generation,  of  Governor  Joseph  R. 
Bodwell. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Bodwell  came  to  Maine  and  in  company  with 
Honorable  Moses  Webster,  opened  the  granite  quarries  at 
Vinalhaven.  In  1866,  Mr.  Bodwell  removed  to  Hallowell,  and 
later  organized  the  Hallowell  Granite  Works,  of  which  he  was 
made  president  and  chief  executive  officer.  The  business  of 
the  company  soon  assumed  extensive  proportions  and  gave 
employment  to  a  large  number  of  men.  The  Hallowell  granite 
was  sent  into  almost  every  state  in  the  Union.  Monuments, 
statues  of  famous  men,  and  magnificent  public  buildings, 
hewn  from  the  Hallowell  quarries  are  found  in  our  large  cities 
throughout  the  New  England,  Middle,  and  Southern  States. 
Governor  Bodwell  also  had  large  interests  in  lumbering  and 
milling  companies,  in  agriculture  and  stock-raising,  in  the  ice 
business  on  the  Kennebec,  in  railroad  development,  and  in 
>other  extensive  financial  enterprises.  He  was  a  business  man 
of  sterling  integrity,  sound  common  sense,  untiring  effort, 
keen  perception  of  values,  and  rare  executive  ability.  He  held 
many  important  industries  within  his  strong  grasp,  and  by  his 
unswerving  energy  and  rare  judgment,  attained  large  and  well- 


Governor  Joseph  R.  Bo  dwell 


317 


merited  success.  It  was  said  of  him  that  he  was  a  genuine 
alchemist,  transmuting  all  he  touched  in  a  business  way,  even 
our  granite  hills,  into  gold. 

As  a  citizen  of  wealth  and  influence.  Governor  Bodwell 
had  it  in  his  power  to  do  much  for  the  welfare  of  Hallowell; 
and  he  never  failed  to  respond  to  any  worthy  call.  In  his 
private  life,  he  was  a  man  of  the  highest  character,  revered  and 
beloved  in  his  family,  spotless  in  integrity,  boundless  in  charity, 
a  delightful  friend  and  neighbor,  a  benefactor  of  the  working 
man,  a  patriotic  and  public-spirited  citizen  who  used  his  wealth 
for  the  benefit  of  the  community  and  the  good  of  the  State. 

Governor  Bodwell  was  not  a  politician.  He  never  sought 
the  emoluments  of  office,  but  was  one  of  those  rare  men  who 
have  the  honors  of  official  position  thrust  upon  them.  At  the 
unanimous  and  importunate  request  of  his  fellow  citizens,  he 
served  Hallowell  as  mayor  for  two  terms,  and  also  twice  repre- 
sented Hallowell  in  the  Maine  Legislature;  and  was  twice 
delegate  from  Maine  to  the  Republican  national  convention. 
While  in  office,  he  devoted  all  the  wealth  and  strength  of  his 
magnificent  force  to  the  purposes  to  which  he  had  pledged  his 
service,  and  the  results  were  such  that  the  next  step  to  the 
gubernatorial  chair  seemed  but  the  natural  transition.  And 
yet  it  was  with  great  reluctance,  and  with  a  generous  sacrifice 
of  his  own  interests,  that  he  consented  to  have  his  name  pre- 
sented as  candidate  for  the  office  of  Governor  of  Maine.  In 
1886,  Mr.  Bodwell  was  elected  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  State; 
and  with  fidelity  and  ability  discharged  the  duties  that 
devolved  upon  him.  ''It  was  very  evident,"  said  one  authority 
"that  Governor  Bodwell  was  Governor  of  Maine  himself !  His 
individuality  was  pronounced  in  all  his  official  acts.  .  .  .  He 
brought  to  the  office  of  Governor  the  same  qualities  that 
had  made  his  business  career  honorable  and  successful,  and  his 

I    administration  reflects  credit  upon  the  State  and  honor  upon 

I    his  memory." 

i  Governor  Bodwell  died  in  office,  December  15,  1887;  and 

i  the  sorrow  of  the  people  of  Maine  was  profound  and  sincere. 
The  spontaneous  tributes  of  all  classes  of  people  to  the  life  and 
character  of  this  honored  and  beloved  Chief  Magistrate  show 


3i8 


Old  Hallow  ell  on  the  Kennebec 


how  strongly  his  personality  was  impressed  upon  the  public 
mind.  "Probably  no  man  in  Maine  was  ever  mourned  more 
sincerely  and  generally.  He  was  one  of  God's  noblest  works, 
*an  honest  man.'  His  was  a  wonderful  combination  of  soul, 
brain,  energy,  and  courage,  such  as  appears  at  the  rarest 
intervals.  He  drew  his  friends  around  him  with  hooks  of  steel. 
Good  men  believed  in  him  and  stood  by  him.  His  was  a  noble 
nature,  and  that  nobility  was  manifested  in  unostentatious 
deeds  of  benevolence  and  charity.  He  was  preeminently  the 
laborer's  friend,  always  popular  with  the  hundreds  of  men 
constantly  in  his  employ.  .  .  .  He  loved  his  state  above 
the  selfish  clamor  of  party  strife,  and  performed  the  duties  of 
Chief  Magistrate  with  a  wisdom  and  impartiality  born  of  his 
sagacity  and  noble  character."  ^ 

The  remains  of  this  honored  Governor,  of  this  good, 
strong  man,  lay  in  state  in  the  Capitol  of  Maine  while  a 
long  procession  of  ten  thousand  mourners  passed  and  paid  their 
tribute  to  the  dead.  Solemn  and  impressive  ceremonies  were 
performed,  and,  to  the  sound  of  the  minute  guns,  the  funeral 
cortege  passed  to  the  old  burying-ground  in  Hallowell.  Then 
above  the  stillness  came  the  crash  of  artillery  and  three  salvos 
from  the  arsenal  battery  announced  to  the  grief-stricken 
people  that  their  beloved  townsman  and  Maine's  Chief  Mag- 
istrate was  laid  among  the  dead. 

The  loss  to  the  state  of  this  noble  son,  this  experienced 
financier,  this  able  and  distinguished  Governor,  was  very  great: 
the  loss  to  Hallowell  of  its  magnanimous  pubhc  benefactor,  its 
large-hearted  friend,  its  beloved  and  honored  chief  citizen,  was 
irreparable. 


*  In  Memoriam.   Hon.  Joseph  R.  Bodwell,  pp.  49-50. 


XX 


SHIPPING  AND  SHIP-MASTERS  OF  HALLOWELL 

"The  peace  that  builds  a  ship  like  this, 
Is  worth  a  thousand  wars." 

—  William  Belcher  Glazier. 

HE  early  history  of  Hallowell  shows  that  the  material 
prosperity  of  the  town  resulted  from  its  unusual  com- 
mercial facilities,  and  its  large  maritime  trade,  which 
was  carried  on  by  vessels  built  and  owned  by  Hallowell 
men.  A  complete  record  of  the  ships  and  ship-masters  of  this 
old  town,  could  it  now  be  written,  would  prove  most  valuable 
and  interesting,  but  we  can  only  offer  on  these  pages  a  brief 
mention  of  some  of  the  famous  old  ships  long  remembered  by 
the  townspeople,  with  sketches  of  a  few  of  those  old  ship- 
masters who  stand  as  representatives  of  a  class  of  men  now 
passing  from  our  midst. 

The  story  of  the  good  ship  Hallowell  is  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  interesting  and  thrilling  of  the  many  that  might  be  told. 
This  ship  was  built  on  the  east  shore  of  the  river  during  the 
first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Its  launching  is  vividly 
described  by  "An  Old  Citizen"  who  writes  as  follows : 

"In  imagination  I  can  almost  hear  the  sounds  of  the  ship- 
builder's axe  and  maul.  The  sounds  suddenly  cease  and  for  a 
few  minutes  all  is  still.  Then  comes  a  shout,  and  a  stately 
ship  is  seen  to  emerge  from  the  gully  and  glide  majestically 
into  the  water.  As  she  dips  her  bows  into  the  water  the  sound 
of  breaking  a  glass  bottle  greets  our  ears  and  we  faintly  hear 
the  word  "Hallowell"  borne  to  us;  and  we  know  that  is  the 
name  of  the  noble  ship  built  and  owned  by  ^he  late  Judge 
Dummer.  This  noble  ship  was  corrimanded  by  our  well-known 
and  highly  respected  fellow-citizen,  Captain  Samuel  Smith." 

The  Hallowelly  after  many  exciting  adventures,  during 
which  her  young  captain  showed  great  courage,  was  at  last 
captured  by  the  British  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  left  dis- 


320 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


mantled  just  outside  of  Bermuda.  Captain  Smith  and  his- 
family  were  long  remembered  in  Hallowell.  He  was  the  father 
of  Mrs.  Major  E.  Rowell,  and  grandfather  of  Mr.  George 
Rowell,  the  well-known  editor  of  the  Portland  Advertiser. 

Another  famous  vessel  built  in  Hallowell  was  the  fast 
brig  Mary  Jane  that  made  a  great  reputation,  at  the  time  of  the 
embargo,  by  running  the  gauntlet  under  fire  from  the  fort  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec.  The  sprightly  Mary  Jane 
escaped  without  damage,  and  reached  the  West  Indies  where 
her  cargo  was  sold  at  great  profit  to  her  owners. 

Among  the  many  tragic  tales  oft-told  around  the  hearth- 
stones of  our  ancestors  was  that  of  the  brave  young  sea- 
captain,  George  Carr,  who,  with  his  beautiful  young  bride  from 
Loudon  Hil],  set  sail  for  Gibraltar  in  the  ship  E.  G.  Pierce. 
This  fine  new  vessel  swept  grandly  down  the  Kennebec, 
and  out  into  the  ocean  never  to  return.  Long  afterwards, 
somewhere  on  the  Grand  Banks,  the  brig  was  found  bottom 
upwards  with  her  name  still  legible  upon  her  stern. 

It  is  no  wonder  that  our  grandsires,  at  the  family  altar, 
always  prayed  for  those  that  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships or 
that  one  of  Maine's  most  gifted  daughters  should  write: 

"God  bless  them  all  who  die  at  sea! 

If  they  must  sleep  in  restless  waves, 
God  make  them  dream  they  are  ashore, 

With  grass  upon  their  graves." 

The  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  a  period 
of  great  activity  in  the  Hallowell  shipyards ;  and  the  launch- 
ing of  a  vessel,  although  a  familiar  sight,  never  failed  to 
awaken  the  wildest  enthusiasm. 

About  1830,  the  shipyards  of  Mr.  E.  G.  Pierce  were  filled 
with  busy  workmen.  Here  was  built  the  well-remembered 
Marshal  Ney,  owned  by  Robinson  and  Page,  and  commanded 
by  the  **crack  shipmaster,"  Captain  Abram  Thing;  also 
another  vessel,  of  450  tons,  owned  by  Rufus  K.  Page  and 
commanded  by  Captain  Smith.  It  is  stated  in  a  contemporary 
number  of  the  Hallowell  Gazette  that  Mr.  Pierce  built  and 


Atkins 


321 


launched  these  two  fine  ships,  and  employed  forty-five  men  per 
day  during  the  season,  '^without  the  use  of  ardent  spirits." 

In  1849,  the  ship  John  Merrick,  named  in  honor  of  one  of 
Hallowell's  most  distinguished  citizens,  was  built  and  launched. 
The  Gazette  announces  that  this  ship  "went  into  the  water 
in  beautiful  style  and  rested  on  its  surface  with  commendable 
grace  and  dignity." 

It  is  also  stated  in  the  Gazette  "that  more  than  half  of  the 
ships  built  in  the  United  States  in  this  year  (1849)  were  built 
in  Maine;"  and  a  very  generous  proportion  of  these  were  built 
in  Hallowell.  The  great  yards  of  Master  Kempton  and  Master 
Small  were  at  this  time  very  busy  and  it  was  extremely  gratify- 
ing, as  the  editor  of  the  Gazette  assures  us,  "to  witness  once 
more,  here  in  Old  Hallowell,  these  exciting  launching  days 
when  young  and  old  flocked  together  to  see  the  sports  of  the 
occasion." 

In  the  early  fifties  there  was  another  revival  of  ship-build- 
ing in  the  Hallowell  yards.  This  was  in  a  great  measure  due 
to  the  enterprise  and  public  spirit  of  Mr.  Rufus  K.  Page,  who 
was  mayor  of  Hallowell  at  this  time,  and  one  of  the  largest 
ship-owners  on  the  Kennebec. 

Captain  James  Atkins  also  owned  a  number  of  large 
vessels,  and  among  them  was  the  Lizzie  Reed,  built  of  white 
oak  and  hackmatack,  "copper  fastened,"  and  called  "one  of  the 
prettiest  brigs  ever  launched  on  the  Kennebec."  In  1853, 
another  fine  brig  was  launched  "in  the  presence  of  the  early 
risers  of  Hallowell."  This  brig  was  largely  owned  by  Mr. 
Peter  Atherton,  a  wealthy  farmer  who  possessed  the  fine  estate 
now  called  "Granite  Hill  Farm"  and  cultivated  by  the  well- 
known  orchardist,  Mr.  William  Peter  Atherton.  The  Gov- 
ernor Hubbard,  the  John  Davis,  and  the  Oleana  of  eight 
hundred  tons,  were  also  famous  vessels  in  their  day. 

The  largest  ship  built  in  Hallowell  at  this  period  (1853) 
was  the  Henry  Reed;  and  no  vessel  ever  dipped  her  prow  into 
the  Kennebec  freighted  with  more  good  wishes  than  this 
noble  craft  of  nine  hundred  tons.  The  Henry  Reed  was  owned 
by  twelve  well-known  men,  among  whom  were  Thomas 
Andrews,  Ambrose  Merrill,  Henry  Reed,  and  Captain  George 


322 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Dearborn  for  whom  the  ship  was  built.  Thomas  Andrews  was 
the    ship's  husband"  and  largest  owner. 

The  first  voyage  of  the  Henry  Reed  was  from  Hallowell  to 
St.  Johns  and  thence  to  London.  For  three  years  the  Henry 
Reed  made  prosperous  and  profitable  voyages  between  New 
York  and  Antwerp  under  the  command  of  its  young  Captain, 
George  Dearborn.  The  ship  was  then  transferred  by  Captain 
Dearborn  to  the  command  of  his  brother,  Henry  Dearborn, 
and  sent  to  Australia.  From  that  time  the  sailor's  proverbial 
"good  luck"  deserted  the  Henry  Reed.  The  ship  was  dis- 
masted off  Cape  Horn,  taken  into  Rio  de  Janeiro  for  repairs, 
and  finally  sold  in  London  to  pay  the  underwriters.  Thence- 
forth, this  brave  old  Hallowell  ship  sailed — who  knows  where.? 
— under  the  Enghsh  flag. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  Captain  Dearborn,  the  first 
gallant  commander  of  the  Henry  Reed^  is  still  living  at  the  age 
of  eighty-seven  years.  His  home  is  in  Brooklyn,  New  York; 
but  his  summers  are  spent  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Frederick 
Bradstreet,  in  Gardiner,  Maine.  His  reminiscences  of  his  long 
and  prosperous  career  as  a  sea-captain  are  full  of  thrilling  in- 
terest. He  was  master  of  the  Trident,  the  Emma  Watts,  the 
Henry  Reed,  the  Kittie  Floyd,  the  Yorkshire,  and  other  sailing 
vessels,  and  afterward  commanded  several  steamships  owned 
by  Murray,  Ferris,  and  Company,  and  by  the  Cromwell  line. 
Twice  Captain  Dearborn  went  round  the  world;  twice  he 
retired  from  the  sea,  but  was  lured  back  by  that  nameless 
love  and  longing  that  never  loses  its  hold  on  the  heart  of  the 
true-born  sailor.  This  innate,  enthusiastic  love  of  the  sea  still 
inspires  the  many  interesting  tales  related  by  Captain  Dear- 
born ;  and,  in  the  aged  master  of  the  Henry  Reed,  we  find  an 
ideal  example  of  the  true  old  Kennebec  sea-captain. 

As  a  large  number  of  these  old  sea-captains  resided  in 
Hallowell,  many  of  the  younger  men  were  induced  by  their 
success  to  follow  the  sea.  The  hearts  of  these  ambitious  lads 
were  easily  stirred  by  the  wonderful  stories  which  the  old 
sailors  told  on  their  return  from  "foreign  parts;"  and  to 
"double  the  Cape,"  or  "go  round  the  world,"  became  the 
absorbing  desire  of  many  a  boy  reared  in  the  quiet  homes  of 


Cox 


323 


Hallowell.  And  so,  from  the  peaceful,  smiling  farms  on  the 
river-shores,  from  the  heights  of  Loudon  Hill,  and  from  the 
very  heart  of  the  town,  these  brave  youths  went  gaily  forth 
to  seek  their  fortunes  on  the  sea.  They  sailed  on  fishing 
schooners,  on  trading-vessels,  on  the  whaling  ships  to  the 
perilous  ''Banks,"  and  on  deep-sea  voyages  to  the  Orient  or  the 
islands  of  the  Pacific.  Many  a  mother  has  stood  upon  Hal- 
lowell's  ancient  crowded  wharves  to  bid  good-bye  to  her  boy 
who  would,  perhaps,  return  a  bronzed  and  bearded  man,  or, 
perhaps,  alas,  be  ''missing"  when  the  ship  again  sailed  into 
port.  Happily  there  were  many  of  the  former  class,  and 
Hallowell  thus  became  the  home  of  a  large  number  of  suc- 
cessful and  wealthy  sea-captains. 

The  memory  of  these  old  sea-captains  should  ever  be 
preserved  in  the  annals  of  the  town,  for  they  are  examples  of 
a  type  of  men  that  has  almost  disappeared  from  our  midst; 
and  if  a  single  family  were  to  be  chosen  to  illustrate  a  long 
line  of  these  typical  old  ship-masters,  none  could  be  found 
more  truly  representative  than  that  of  our  early  settler, 
Captain  James  Cox. 

Born  of  sea-faring  ancestry,  the  son  of  a  Boston  ship- 
master, Captain  James  Cox  inherited  a  love  of  the  sea  which 
he  bequeathed  to  his  descendants.  In  1762,  James  Cox  came  to 
Hallowell  and  settled  on  the  beautiful  intervale  on  the  east 
side  of  the  river.  His  son,  Gershom  Cox,  who  also  "followed 
the  sea,"  married  Sarah  Hussey,  daughter  of  Captain  Obed 
Hussey.  Five  stalwart  sons  of  this  marriage,  Comfort  Smith, 
Arthur,  William  Henry,  James  V.,  and  G.  Leander,  all  "went 
out  before  the  mast,"  and  became  masters  of  their  own  ships. 
Gershom  Cox  may  therefore  very  fittingly  be  called,  the 
"father  of  sea-captains." 

Captain  Comfort  Smith  Cox,  born  Septehiber  22,  1801, 
married,  July  22,  1827,  Abigail  Smiley,  and  had  four  children: 
Sarah  H.,  who  married  Jacob  G.  Fletcher;  Mary  Cora,  who 
married  Edwin  J.  Benner;  Barrett  who  married  Victoria  L. 
Bailey;  and  Elizabeth  A,,  who  married  S.  Franklin  Davenport, 
son  of  Nathaniel  Davenport  and  a  descendant  of  Thomas 
Davenport,  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution.    The  name 


324 


Old  Hallowell  07i  the  Kennebec 


of  Davenport  is  represented  in  Hallowell,  in  the  present 
generation,  by  Mr.  Ralph  Davenport,  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S. 
F.  Davenport. 

Captain  Comfort  Smith  Cox  is  well  remembered  as  a 
typical  "retired  sea-captain,"  who,  having  stood  upon  the 
quarter-deck  through  the  storm  and  stress  of  many  perilous 
voyages,  was  permitted  to  pass  his  last  years  in  ease  and  hap- 
piness with  his  family  in  the  fair  haven  of  Hallowell. 

The  Agrys  were  also  sons  of  the  sea  and  successful 
masters  of  their  own  vessels.  Captain  John  and  Captain 
Thomas  Agry  came  to  Hallowell  about  1801.  Captain  Thomas, 
born  in  Barnstable,  August  6,  1756,  married  Hannah  Nye  of 
Sandwich.  Their  oldest  daughter  married  Judge  Kingsbury 
of  Gardiner;  their  second  daughter,  Martha,  married  Colonel 
William  O.  Vaughan  of  Hallowell.  Mrs.  Hannah  Agry  died 
in  1794.  In  1 801,  Captain  Thomas  married  Sally,  daughter 
of  Benjamin  and  Mercy  Hammett  of  Boston.  They  built  and 
resided  in  the  house  afterwards  owned  by  Moses  W.  Farr, 
Esq.  Captain  Thomas  Agry  was  at  one  time  president  of  the 
old  Hallowell  and  Augusta  Savings  Bank,  and  was  one  of  the 
prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  Hallowell.  He  died  April 
25,  1 82 1,  aged  sixty-five. 

Other  sea-captains,  whose  names  often  appear  on  the 
maritime  records  of  Hallowell,  were  the  Hinckley s,  the  Smiths, 
the  Nyes,  the  Dingleys,  Abner  Lowell,  Joshua  Carr,  Abram 
Thing,  and  Sarson  Butler.  Shubael  West  was  the  popular 
master  of  the  packet  Delia,  who  "solemnly  deposed"  before 
Ariel  Mann,  justice  of  the  peace,  that  he  and  everyone  on  board 
his  vessel,  "except  one  woman,"  had  seen  the  sea-serpent  off 
Cape  Ann.  Later  ship-masters  were  Captain  Davis;  Captain 
Thomas  Snow;  the  three  Cooper  brothers,  James,  Henry,  and 
Llewellyn;  Captain  Samuel  Watts  and  his  sons,  Samuel, 
Edward,  and  "Captain  Lawson,"  whose  daughter  Helen, 
married  Mr.  Samuel  Glazier  of  Hallowell;  Captain  Titcomb, 
the  father  of  Walter  Titcomb,  a  naval  officer  in  the  Civil  War, 
of  Dr.  Arthur  Titcomb,  and  of  Mrs.  Carrie  Titcomb  Colcord ; 
and  Captain  John  McClintock,  whose  record  as  a  successful 
ship-master  covered  half  a  century. 


Drew 


325 


One  of  the  most  familiar  and  honored  names  in  the  long 
list  of  later  Hallowell  sea-captains  is  that  of  John  H.  Drew, 
well  known  as  an  able  and  efficient  ship-officer,  and  as  the  author 
of  a  series  of  breezy  sea-letters  and  picturesque  descriptions 
of  foreign  parts,"  which,  under  the  signature  of  *'The 
Kennebecker,"  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the  Boston  Journal. 

Captain  Drew  was  born  in  Chelsea,  formerly  a  part  of 
Hallowell,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Kennebec.  He  was  the  son 
of  Allen  Drew,  ship-carver,  and  a  man  of  marked  individuality 
in  the  town. 

Born  and  bred  in  a  seafaring  community,  the  son  of  the  old 
ship-carver  early  manifested  a  strong  love  of  the  sea  and  an 
irresistible  longing  for  the  life  of  the  sailor.  When  but  a  boy 
of  eleven  years,  John  Drew  set  sail  in  the  forecastle,  and  by  his 
own  energy  and  ability  rose  to  the  office  of  captain  of  the 
Fearless.  He  afterwards  commanded  the  Franklin  and  the 
Sea  Wiichy  and  sailed  in  many  seas  and  visited  almost  every 
foreign  port  frequented  by  American  vessels.  He  ''doubled  the 
Cape"  many  times,  and  was  often  in  the  Chinese  and  East 
Indian  waters. 

In  reference  to  Captain  Drew  and  his  literary  work,  the 
Boston  Journal  prints  this  tribute:  "Captain  Drew  was  a  self- 
taught  man,  and  the  large  fund  of  information  which  he 
possessed  was  the  fruit  of  reading  and  observation  and  travel 
in  every  part  of  the  globe.  He  wrote  without  affectation  or 
straining  for  effect,  in  a  vigorous,  straightforward  style,  breezy 
and  original,  and  with  the  savor  of  the  sea  in  every  line.  His 
racy  and  vivid  descriptions  of  life  on  shipboard  and  of  strange 
experiences  in  distant  ports  were  widely  popular,  and  few  New 
England  writers  in  this  particular  department  were  better 
known  than  he." 

Captain  Drew  was  always  a  loyal  son  of  I^allowell,  and  the 
Kennebec  was  the  one  river  of  the  world  to  l^im.  His  letters 
abound  in  local  allusions  and  ititeresting  reminiscences  that 
appeal  to  many  readers.  His  life  was  marked  by  the  wild 
longings  and  aspirations  of  the  boy,  and  the  well-earned  success 
of  a  brave,  persistent,  and  genuine  lover  of  the  sea.  He  spent 
the  last  two  years  of  his  life  in  the  comforts  of  his  own  home  in 


326 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Farmingdale,  where  he  died  in  1891.  The  following  brief 
tribute  expresses  the  sentiment  of  many  who  knew  and 
esteemed  the  Kennebecker:  "Captain  Drew  was  our  friend. 
When  we  looked  into  his  flashing  eyes  and  frank,  manly  coun- 
tenance, and  received  his  cordial  hand-grasp,  we  could  make  no 
mistake  in  the  man.  His  friendship  was  unfailing,  his  helpful- 
ness of  the  sort  that  assisted  without  embarrassing,  and  his 
heart  was  as  free  from  guile  as  that  of  a  child.  Verily,  a  manly 
man  has  gone  from  the  loving  embrace  of  home  and  friends  to 
join  the  innumerable  multitude." 

Among  the  most  famous  of  the  Hallowell  ship-masters  was 
Captain  Llewellyn  Cooper,  who,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1878,  was  the  only  American  commander  of  the  many  Trans- 
Atlantic  steamship  lines  running  out  of  New  York.  Although 
only  in  his  forty-eighth  year,  this  experienced  officer  had  voyaged 
to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  commanded  all  kinds  of  vessels, 
from  the  smallest  sailing  craft  to  the  largest  ocean  steamship. 

In  person.  Captain  Cooper  was  a  noble  specimen  of  the 
American  seaman.  He  was  six  feet  and  two  inches  in  height, 
broad  shouldered,  and  splendidly  proportioned,  with  a  cordial, 
whole-souled  manner,  and  a  spirit  of  self-reliant  courage  rarely 
surpassed  on  shipboard.  His  calmness  and  daring  in  times  of 
danger  never  failed  to  give  courage  and  inspiration  to  the  men 
under  his  command. 

Captain  Cooper  was  born  in  Hallowell  in  1830.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one  he  sailed  out  of  the  port  of  New  York,  as 
master  of  one  of  the  finest  barks  in  the  foreign  trade.  He  made 
frequent  voyages  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  to  Calcutta 
and  Madras,  and  to  the  East  Indies.  He  was  also  engaged 
in  the  China  trade.  For  years  he  was  captain  of  one  of  the 
finest  packet  ships  between  London  and  Calcutta;  and  after- 
wards commanded  the  steamship  Pacific.  In  1883,  a  new  iron 
steamship,  the  State  of  Georgia  of  the  State  Line,  was 
launched ;  and  Captain  Cooper  was  appointed  to  command  her. 
"His  record  has  not  been  bettered  by  that  of  any  steamship 
captain  on  the  North  Atlantic."  ^ 


^  The  New  York  Sun.    November  30,  1878. 


Wel/s 


327 


Captain  Llewellyn  Cooper  married  Elizabeth  Andrews,  of 
Hallowell.  He  died  in  Scotland,  and  his  funeral  took  place  on 
board  his  own  steamship  which  then  lay  at  anchor  on  the  Clyde. 
Three  sons  of  Captain  Llewellyn  and  Elizabeth  Cooper, 
Llewellyn,  James,  and  Thomas,  now  reside  in  Augusta,  Maine. 

Another  ship-master  of  reputation  on  both  sides  of  the 
globe  is  Captain  Charles  Wells,  who  should  here  receive 
especial  mention,  not  only  because  he  represents  the  ideal  type 
of  the  American  ship-master,  but  because  he  is  now  the  last  of 
the  race  in  Hallowell.  Of  all  the  brave  old  captains  who,  one 
after  the  other,  left  their  ships  to  make  their  homes  in  some 
stately  old-fashioned  house  in  Hallowell,  Captain  Wells  is  now 
the  only  living  representative.  In  his  fine  old  mansion  built 
nearly  a  hundred  years  ago,  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Wales,  and  sur- 
rounded by  rare  and  curious  treasures  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  Captain  Wells,  with  his  long,  honorable,  and  interesting 
experiences  still  fresh  in  his  mind,  is  a  most  entertaining  and 
delightful  host. 

The  Wells  family  is  of  Norman  extraction,  and  its  ancient  ' 
representatives  are  believed  to  have  come  to  England  with 
William  the  Conqueror.  The  name  was  originally  De  Welles. 
The  first  representatives  of  the  Wells  family  in  this  country 
came  from  Colchester,  England,  to  Connecticut,  in  1635. 
Captain  Charles  Wells  is  the  son  of  Ensign  and  Louise  Batten 
Wells.  In  his  youth  he  went  first  to  California,  where  he 
remained  several  years  before  he  began  to  "follow  the  sea." 
He  then  made  numerous  voyages  to  the  East  Indies,  and  in  a 
comparatively  short  time  rose  to  the  rank  of  captain.  On 
February  8,  i860,  he  married  Amelie  Bergmann,  at  Bermerhaven, 
Germany.  Their  children  were  Georgiana  and  Julia,  both  born 
in  Burmah,  and  Louise,  who  was  born  in  Hallowell  and  there 
married  to  Mr.  Franklin  Glazier  Russell. 

Captain  Wells  resided  several  years  fn  Glasgow,  and 
while  there  was  offered  the  command  of  the  ship  Shantung 
which  was  sent  out  under  the  British  flag  to  the  Russell  Com- 
pany in  China.  On  arriving  in  the  Chinese  waters  this  ship  was 
placed  under  the  American  flag  and  Captain  Wells  remained  in 
command  of  the  vessel.    This  was  the  beginning  of  Captain 


328 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Wells'  experience  of  thirty  years  as  captain  on  the  Chinese 
rivers.  For  ten  years  he  was  in  command  of  one  steamship  on 
the  Yangtse-Kiang.  In  China,  Captain  Wells  attained  a  high 
reputation ;  and  frequently  when  the  Chinese  government  pur- 
chased ships  from  the  yards  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  he  was 
commissioned  to  bring  them  to  China.  On  these  occasions, 
Captain  Wells  also  visited  his  family  in  Hallowell.  In  this 
manner  he  went  round  the  world  five  times.  After  many  years 
of  perilous  adventure  and  heroic  experience  on  the  waters  of  the 
Orient,  Captain  Wells  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned  season  of 
repose;  while  Hallowell  proudly  claims  him  as  the  last  and  one 
of  the  greatest  of  her  long  line  of  famous  sea-captains. 

Thus,  for  many  years,  Old  Hallowell,  although  not  a  sea- 
coast  town,  was  a  regular  port  of  entry  for  vessels  engaged  in  the 
coasting  trade  and  in  voyages  to  foreign  lands.  The  daily  tides 
that  washed  its  numerous  old  wharves  brought  the  salty  flavor 
of  the  sea.  The  aroma  of  tropical  fruits  and  spices  permeated 
its  ancient  warehouses;  and  mingled  odors  of  tobacco,  tar,  and 
the  ever-flowing  "West  India  Rum"  followed  in  the  wake  of  the 
jovial  sailors  who  came  ashore  and  spent  their  hard-earned 
silver  with  a  lavish  hand.  The  fleets  of  schooners,  brigs,  and 
other  craft  that  came  and  went  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Kenne- 
bec were  a  familiar  sight  to  the  dwellers  on  the  river-banks. 
But  the  time  came,  at  last,  when  these  white-winged  argosies 
silently  and  one  by  one  disappeared  from  the  Kennebec.  The 
arrival  of  the  first  steamboat,  which  was  hailed  with  delight,  put 
an  end  to  the  line  of  packets  on  the  river,  and  entirely  changed 
the  methods  of  trade  and  travel. 

In  the  year  1838,  the  steamer  John  W.  Richmond  owned 
principally  by  Rufus  K.  Page,  and  commanded  by  Captain 
Nathaniel  Kimball,  was  placed  upon  the  route  between 
Hallowell  and  Boston.  This  was  a  fine  steamer,  ''elegantly 
appointed  and  of  great  speed,"  and  its  arrival  twice  a  week  was 
attended  with  intense  interest  and  general  excitement. 

As  the  steamer  could  not  be  seen  at  a  great  distance  from 
the  Hallowell  wharves,  on  account  of  the  curve  in  the  river,  a 
signal  station  was  arranged  on  Chelsea  heights,  commanding 
the  view  below  Bowman's  Point,  and  as  soon  as  the  steamer 


The  Coming  of  the  Steam-Cars 


329 


appeared  in  sight  a  ball  was  hoisted  to  announce  its  coming. 
Then  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys  rushed  to  the  wharf;  travelers, 
men  of  business,  teamsters,  idlers,  and  loungers  crowded  and 
jostled  one  another  in  their  eagerness  to  ''see  the  boat  come  in;" 
and  the  great  passenger-coaches  rattled  and  clattered  down 
through  Water  Street  as  soon  as  the  signal  ball  appeared. 
Regular  old-fashioned  stage-coaches  were  those  driven  by 
*'Dan"  Hanscom  and  "Sam"  Johnson  who  dashed  like  veritable 
Jehus  to  the  wharves,  while  "Pinkham"  of  Augusta  frantically 
endeavored  to  get  there  first  with  his  galloping  steeds.  Popular 
boys  were  often  permitted  by  these  drivers  to  ride  down  to  the 
wharf,  but  they  were  always  obliged  to  walk  back. 

In  a  short  time,  another  steamer,  the  Huntress,  was  placed 
upon  the  route,  and  a  sharp  competition  between  the  two  lines 
ensued.  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  also  put  a  steamer,  named  for 
himself,  upon  the  Kennebec.  Along  in  the  forties  the  John 
Marshall,  owned  by  ''the  People's  Line,"  a  New  York  Com- 
pany, appeared  upon  this  coveted  route;  and  then  a  most 
astonishing  contest  followed.  The  price  of  tickets  from  Hal- 
lowell  to  Boston  was  at  last  reduced  to  ten  cents,  and  at  one 
time  passengers  were  actually  paid  twenty-five  cents  to  take  a 
free  passage  to  Boston.  This  competition  ended  when  the  old 
company  purchased  controlling  shares  in  the  People's  line,  and 
removed  the  Joh7t  Marshall  from  the  Kennebec. 

The  advent  of  the  steamboat  was  followed  by  that  of  the 
steam-cars  in  1857.  On  December  15th  of  that  year,  the  first 
train  pushed  through  Hallowell  in  a  blinding  snow  storm, 
amidst  the  wildest  enthusiasm  of  the  spectators.  Twenty 
years  before,  it  had  been  predicted  by  the  Rev.  John  A. 
Vaughan  in  a  lecture,  that  "a  man  would  soon  be  able  to  see 
the  State  Flouse  of  Massachusetts  and  that  of  Maine  by  the 
sunlight  of  the  same  day."  This  prediction  was  now  verified. 
Still  there  were  many  men  who  believed  that  on  account  of  the 
severity  of  the  Maine  winters,  the  cars  would  only  run  two 
hundred  days  in  the  year.  The  Honorable  George  Evans, 
however,  who  was  afterwards  president  of  the  road,  was  of  the 
opinion  that  the  cars  might  run  three  hundred  days  in  the 
year.    One  train  a  day  was  considered  a  great  achievement. 


330 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


and  the  passengers  from  Hallowell  were  quite  content  with 
this  great  improvement  in  the  facilities  for  travel. 

In  connection  with  the  first  steamboat  and  the  first  steam- 
cars,  mention  should  also  be  made  of  the  first  automobile  in 
Hallowell.  This  famous  horseless  carriage  was  built,  in  1858, 
by  the  McClench  brothers  of  Hallowell,  at  the  suggestion  of 
Judge  Rice  and  Dr.  H.  H.  Hill  of  Augusta.  A  full  descrip- 
tion of  its  mechanism  still  exists,  and  the  proofs  of  its  success 
are  on  record.  Its  trial  trip  was  a  memorable  event  in  Hal- 
lowell and  aroused  great  excitement.  Mr.  George  B.  McClench 
was  the  *'chief  engineer."  The  Judge  "took  the  tiller"  and  "sat 
upright  on  the  seat,  his  hands  encased  in  black  gloves,  and 
with  his  tall  hat  and  high  stock,  he  made  an  imposing  figure." 
The  machine  started  in  Joppa,  moved  up  Water  Street,  and 
along  the  plains,  at  a  good  speed,  and  then  returned  with- 
out accident.  This  old-time  automobile  made  numerous  suc- 
cessful trips,  but  after  its  practical  working  had  been  demon- 
strated and  the  novelty  of  the  affair  was  over,  it  was  stored 
by  the  McClench  brothers  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
afterwards  taken  to  pieces. 

Half  a  century  has  passed  away  since  the  introduction  of 
these  new  methods  of  travel.  Marvel  after  marvel  has  fol- 
lowed in  swift  succession,  but  the  people  no  longer  manifest 
ingenuous  surprise  or  unrestrained  enthusiasm  over  whatever 
is  new  and  wonderful.  The  great  steamers  arrive  on  the 
Kennebec,  but  no  gilded  balls  from  Chelsea  heights  announce 
their  coming;  the  mighty  express  trains,  in  shine  or  storm, 
speed  through  our  towns,  but  no  one  gazes  after  them  in 
astonishment ;  the  countless  automobiles  flash  upon  our  vision 
and  vanish  in  the  distance,  and  yet  we  make  no  sign.  We  live 
in  a  world  of  marvels,  but  have  we  not  lost  something  of  the 
wonder,  the  mystery,  and  the  glory  of  things  that  intensified 
and  united  the  life  of  the  people  in  the  olden  days.? 


XXI 


THE  PUBLIC  INTERESTS  OF  HALLOWELL 

I" 

"Her  record  in  all  respects,  as  town  or  city,  is  free  from  blot  or 
stain." 

— I?r.  William  B.  Lapham. 

UR  Story  of  Old  Hallowell  has  thus  far  been  con- 
cerned principally  with  the  people  of  the  town  and 
with  its  religious,  educational,  social,  and  commercial 
interests.    In  order  to  complete  the  tale,  something 
should  now  be  said  of  those  public  interests  which  represent 
the  people  not  as  individuals  but  as  a  community. 

The  civic  and  political  life  of  Hallowell  would  furnish 
subject  matter  for  many  pages  of  local  history.  Even 
in  the  earlier  times,  the  people  were  keenly  alive  to  public 
affairs;  and  one  of  the  absorbing  topics  of  interest  was  the 
separation  of  Maine  from  Massachusetts.  As  early  as  1796, 
this  subject  was  agitated  in  Hallowell,  and  the  columns  of  the 
Tocsin  show  that  the  leading  men  of  the  day  were  even  then 
awake  to  the  necessity  of  an  independent  State  organization. 
In  1820,  when  the  time  for  the  separation  arrived,  the  people 
and  the  press  of  Hallowell  took  an  influential  part  in  the  proceed- 
ings. The  delegates  from  Hallowell  to  the  convention  for 
forming  a  constitution  for  the  State  of  Maine  were  Samuel 
Moody,  Benjamin  Dearborn,  and  William  N.  Page.  Jeremiah 
Perley  prepared  a  valuable  digest  of  the  debates  of  this  con- 
vention, and  Ebenezer  T.  Warren  was  a  member  of  the 
committee  appointed  to  prepare  a  circular  letter  to  be  sent  to 
certain  prominent  men  asking  their  opinion  on  the  question: 
Shall  Maine  separate  from  Massachusetts.?"  ^ 

In  the  old  volume  compiled  by  Jeremiah  Perley,  may  be 
found  a  letter  from  Ex-president  John  Adams,  expressing  his 
opinion  on  this  subject  from  which  I  give  the  following  inter- 
esting extracts : 

"My  judgment,  poor  as  it  is,  and  my  inclinations,  strong 


332 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


as  they  are,  are  all  on  the  side  of  union.  I  can  see  no  pubUc 
benefit  to  arise,  on  the  contrary  much  pubUc  evil,  from  that 
spirit  of  division,  partition,  and  separation  which  so  unhappily 
prevails  among  our  worthy  fellow-citizens.  .  .  .  But  I  can 
tell  you  how  it  will  be  when  there  arises  in  Maine  a  bold, 
daring,  ardent  genius,  with  talents  capable  of  inspiring  the 
people  with  his  own  enthusiasm  and  ambition.  He  will  tear 
off  Maine  from  Massachusetts  and  leave  her  in  a  state  below 
mediocrity  in  the  union.  My  advice  therefore  is  to  remain  as 
you  are  as  long  as  you  can.  Though  I  know  that  my  advice 
will  have  no  weight  with  one  party  or  another,  yet  I  will 
present  my  compliments  to  the  worthy  committee  who  have 
signed  the  circular  letter  and  advise  them  as  they  stand  well  to 
stand  still." 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
national  questions  were  also  of  absorbing  interest  to  the  think- 
ing men  of  Hallowell;  and  the  old  town  with  its  two  political 
parties,  the  Federals  and  the  Democratic-Republicans, — each 
represented  by  an  able  newspaper, — was  the  scene  of  much 
lively  discussion.  The  political  campaign  of  1840  was  one  of 
the  most  exciting  ever  known  in  Hallowell.  This  was  the 
memorable  "Hard  Cider  Campaign"  of  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler 
too." 

The  Whigs  during  this  contest  held  their  meetings  in  a 
log-cabin  erected,  for  political  purposes,  on  Second  Street 
where  the  Universalist  Church  now  stands.  This  club-room 
was  furnished  with  rustic  chairs  and  tables,  and  was  decorated 
with  old  firearms,  coonskins,  and  other  suggestive  ornaments. 
In  one  corner,  a  barrel  of  hard  cider  was  always  on  tap;  and  a 
leather  latchstring,  two  feet  long,  was  always  out  in  welcome  to 
the  supporters  of  Harrison.  Stories  of  the  original  and 
forcible  manner  in  which  this  campaign  was  conducted  were 
long  told  in  the  political  circles  of  the  State.  In  the  mean- 
time the  town  was  rent  with  the  antislavery  agitation  to 
which  reference  has  already  been  made  in  this  volume.  The 
discussions  and  dissensions  on  the  abolition  of  slavery  were  so 
keen  that  even  the  church  organizations  were  threatened  with 
disruption.    It  was  at  the  height  of  this  agitation  that  a  young 


Local  Organizations 


333 


minister  who  was  temporarily  occupying  the  Unitarian  pulpit, 
gave  great  offence,  by  his  vehement  and  tactless  sermons,  to 
some  members  of  his  congregation;  and  in  the  midst  of 
one  of  his  denunciatory  discourses,  a  certain  masterful  and 
indignant  sea-captain  of  the  town  angrily  arose,  opened  the 
door  of  the  pew  that  enclosed  his  family  in  aristocratic  seclu- 
sion, and  strode  majestically  out  of  the  church,  to  the  con- 
sternation of  his  children,  and  the  amazement  of  the  offending 
minister.  It  is  evident  that  the  sympathies  of  the  congregation 
were  this  time  with  the  intolerant  Captain,  for  on  the  next 
Sabbath  when  the  zealous  divine  came  to  preach  again,  he 
found  the  doors  of  the  church  forever  closed  against  him. 

The  many  able  men  and  talented  orators  in  Hallowell  gave 
a  zest  to  all  political  discussions;  and  through  all  the  changes 
of  party  organization,  there  were  always  powerful  leaders  and 
devoted  followers.  *'How  my  Democratic  ears  used  to  tingle," 
wrote  a  certain  old  citizen,  "when,  as  a  boy,  I  heard  John  P. 
Dumont,  a  fiery  whig,  run  the  locofocos!  How  he  used  to 
punish  Andrew  Jackson  and  Martin  Van  Buren!"  and  this 
illustrates  the  spirit  of  the  times. 

All  this  was  changed  in  the  fateful  sixties  when  the  men  of 
Hallowell  united  in  the  Union  cause  and  magnificently  sup- 
ported the  government  through  the  most  crucial  period  of  our 
country's  history.  Hallowell's  long  roll  of  honor  shows  how 
many  of  her  sons  nobly  gave  not  only  their  service  but  their 
lives  to  the  cause  of  the  Union. 

The  local  organizations  of  Hallowell  were  always  a  source 
of  pride  and  interest  to  the  people.  One  of  the  very  oldest,  as 
well  as  the  most  permanent  of  these  organizations  was  the 
Kennebec  Lodge  of  Free  Masons  founded  in  1796.  The 
first  Worshipful  Master  of  this  Lodge  was  Judge  Nathaniel 
Dummer.  On  June  27,  1796,  the  Festival  of  St.  John  the 
EvangeUst  was  celebrated  by  this  lodge,  and  one  hundred  years 
from  that  date,  St.  John's  day  was  again  commemorated  by 
the  same  lodge  in  Hallowell.  In  its  list  of  members  in  the  year 
1820,  we  find  the  familiar  names  of  Pel  eg  Sprague,  Gideon 
Farrell,  Amos  Nourse,  Ebenezer  White,  Andrew  Masters,  John 
D.  Lord,  Calvin  Spaulding,  S.  K.  Oilman  and  Simon  Johnson. 


334 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Ke^mebec 


The  Kennebec  Benevolent  Union  was  a  literary  and  social 
club  to  which  many  Hallowell  men  belonged.  All  events  of 
national  importance  were  celebrated  by  this  brilliant  associa- 
tion; formal  banquets  were  held  in  Washington  Hall;  and 
eloquent  and  witty  after-dinner  speeches  were  made  by 
Nathaniel  Perley,  Thomas  Bond,  John  Dumont  and  other 
popular  orators  of  the  town. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
military  spirit  was  strong,  and  the  leading  men  of  the  town  were 
members  of  the  two  volunteer  companies,  the  "  Hallowell 
Artillery"  and  the  ''Light  Infantry."  The  artillery  company 
had  a  gun-house  and  parade-ground  north  of  Lincoln  Street, 
and  stored  their  ammunition  in  the  old  brick  powder  house  on 
the  hill.  The  uniform  of  the  members  of  this  company  was  of 
dark  blue  cloth  trimmed  with  red;  their  caps  were  of  black 
leather  having  a  tall  black  plume  tipped  with  crimson.  The 
Light  Infantry  was  composed  of  the  younger  men  of  the  place. 
Their  uniform  consisted  of  a  blue  coat,  with  white  and  silver 
trimmings,  white  trousers,  and  cap  with  a  long  white  plume. 
They  were  famous  for  their  elegant  appearance,  their  immacu- 
late accoutrements,  and  their  excellent  discipline.  These  two 
companies  were  idolized  by  the  townspeople;  and  even  the 
"String-Beaners,"  the  un-uniformed  company  that  straggled 
along  at  the  end  of  the  line  on  muster-day,  were  not  without 
their  share  of  popular  favor.  The  annual  brigade-muster  on 
Hinckley's  plains,  was  a  grand  gala-time  for  Hallowell  and  the 
surrounding  country ;  but  with  the  passing  of  the  State  militia, 
the  glory  of  the  Artillery  and  the  Light  Infantry  departed,  and 
only  the  titles  of  the  officers  remained  as  evidence  of  their 
former  glory. 

The  firemen's  department  was  an  organization  which  was 
also  warmly  supported  by  public  sentiment.  The  "Lion"  and 
the  "Tiger"  were  familiar  names  in  every  household,  and 
parades  of  the  engine  companies  with  their  martial  music  were 
the  pride  and  delight  of  the  populace.  The  handsome  youths 
in  their  gorgeous  uniforms  won  many  honors;  but  their  laurels 
were  at  one  time  borne  away  by  the  young  ladies  of  Hallowell, 
of  whom  this  incident  is  related : 


The  Firemen's  Jubilee 


335 


"About  fifty  years  ago  a  Fourth  of  July  excursion  to 
Hunne well's  Point  took  from  the  town  all  of  the  firemen  and 
indeed  most  of  the  male  population.  Late  in  the  afternoon  a 
fire  was  discovered  in  the  Exchange  Hotel,  commonly  called 
Winslow's  Tavern  on  Water  Street.  It  was  a  large  wooden 
building,  and  unless  the  flames  could  be  quickly  extinguished  it 
must  go,  and  adjoining  stores  also,  several  of  which  had  already 
taken  fire.  Tidings  of  the  catastrophe  came  to  the  ears  of  the 
women,  and  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  younger  ones,  regardless  of 
the  silks  and  laces  in  which  they  were  robed  for  some  function, 
rushed  to  the  engine  house,  found  men  enough  to  drag  the 
'Tiger'  to  the  wharf,  and  one  band  manned  the  brakes  in  a 
fashion  worthy  of  long  practice  and  masculine  muscle,  while 
another  passed  the  buckets  of  water,  and  the  town  was  saved." 
Six  of  these  ''firewomen"  are  now  living,  and  three  of  them 
reside  in  Hallowell." 

One  of  the  very  last  public  celebrations  of  Hallowell,  as  a 
town,  was  organized  by  the  fire  department  and  carried  out  to  a 
most  brilliant  success  by  the  loyal  support  of  the  townspeople. 
This  festival  is  still  remembered  with  a  thrill  of  enthusiasm  by 
many,  now  living,  who  took  a  part  in  the  splendid  pageant  of 
August  6,  1 85 1. 

This  popular  fete  had  been  designed  for  a  Fourth  of  July 
celebration,  but  on  that  inauspicious  day  it  rained  in  torrents. 
It  was  therefore  resolved  to  appoint  another  date  for  the 
"firemen's  jubilee  and  grand  floral  procession." 

On  August  6th,  all  the  glowing  anticipations  of  the  towns- 
people and  officers  of  the  day  were  abundantly  realized.  The 
weather  was  perfect.  Five  hundred  firemen  from  Lewis- 
ton,  Bath,  and  the  Kennebec  towns  appeared  promptly  upon 
the  scene.  Five  thousand  spectators  filled  the  streets  of  the 
old  town.  The  procession  was  headed  by  Ch;ef  Marshal  A. 
Berry,  with  his  assistants,  T.  M.  Andrews,  A.  Lord,  Henry 
Reed,  A.  Merrill,  E.  Rowell,  of  Hallowell.  The  place  of  honor 
in  the  line  was  accorded  to  the  famous  old  engines,  the  "Lion" 
and  the  "Tiger,"  with  their  men.  They  were  followed  by 
eleven  other  companies,  making  a  brilliant  spectacle  with  their 
gorgeous  costumes,  their  shining  engines,  and  waving  banners. 


336 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


At  the  moving  of  the  procession,  the  bands  played,  the  bells 
rang,  and  the  Thunder-Jug,"  Hallowell's  famous  old  cannon 
taken  from  the  Boxer,  resounded  from  the  wharf.  The  column 
passed  through  the  length  of  Second,  Middle,  and  Water  Streets, 
and  up  Temple  Street  to  the  Old  South  Church.  Here  the 
children  were  seated  in  the  galleries,  and  the  large  auditorium 
was  filled  with  ladies  and  other  guests  of  the  day.  After  an  over- 
ture by  the  band,  and  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Cole,  a  poem,  by 
William  B.  Glazier,  Esq.,  was  delivered  in  a  most  enjoyable  and 
effective  style.  It  is  remembered  as  a  graceful  and  brilliant 
production  abounding  in  poetic  fancies,  patriotic  sentiment,  wit, 
satire,  and  many  humorous  local  ''hits." 

The  parade  of  the  ever  popular  and  much  admired  firemen 
aroused  great  enthusiasm,  but  the  floral  procession  appealed 
more  closely  to  the  hearts  of  many  of  the  spectators,  for  this 
was  the  young  people's  pageant;  and  it  was  pronounced  the 
very  best  exhibition  of  its  kind  that  was  ever  seen  on  the 
Kennebec,  or  in  the  state.  Among  the  most  prominent  and 
most  admired  features  of  this  procession  were: 

Flora's  Car,  containing  the  floral  queen  seated  on  the 
throne  and  surrounded  by  twelve  maids  of  honor. 

Innocence,  a  little  girl  two  years  of  age,  on  a  moss-covered 
car  borne  by  four  boys. 

Morning,  young  lady  dressed  in  white  with  crown  on  her 
head  to  signify  the  sparkles  of  the  rising  sun. 

Night,  a  young  lady  dressed  in  black,  covered  with  silver 
stars. 

Hope,  a  little  girl  two  and  a  half  years  old  on  a  litter  borne 
by  four  boys. 

The  Four  Seasons,  four  young  ladies  appropriately 

dressed  to  represent  the  four  seasons. 
The  Lily,  a  little  child  in  a  basket  covered  with  moss  and 

pond  lilies. 

The  May  Pole,  on  car,  surrounded  by  ten  young  girls. 
The  May  Queen,  seated  upon  a  throne,  with  attendants 

on  either  hand. 
Banner  with  streamers,  held  by  two  young  girls,  followed 

by  a  company  of  thirteen  archers. 


Grand  Floral  Procession 


337 


Boat,  filled  with  forty-one  children,  and  having  in  the 
prow  four  boys  dressed  in  man-of-war  costume. 

Pedestal,  surmounted  by  the  Silver  Trumpet,  the  fire- 
man's prize,  borne  by  four  young  ladies. 

Interspersed  between  all  these  gaily  decorated  cars  were 
companies  of  boys  and  girls,  the  flower  of  the  youth  of 
Hallowell,  bearing  wreaths,  garlands,  flags,  and  banners.  Every 
home  in  the  town  was  represented ;  the  hearts  of  the  people 
united  with  one  accord  in  joyous  enthusiasm;  and  the  music  of 
the  brass  band  aroused  a  wildly  patriotic  fervor.  The  Floral 
Queen,"  "Morning,"  "Night,"  and  the  "Four  Seasons,"  were 
young  ladies  remarkable  for  their  grace  and  beauty;  and  many 
tributes  of  loyal  admiration  are  still  paid,  in  memory,  to  the  lovely 
"May  Queen,"  Miss  Addie  Stearns,  who,  as  it  is  pleasant  to 
remember,  was  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Louise  Page  Stearns  and 
great-granddaughter  of  Sarah  Kilton,  the  young  heroine  of 
Revolutionary  fame. 

After  the  parade  was  over  the  ''Floral  Procession"  marched 
to  the  grounds  of  Mr.  John  Gardiner  where  a  picnic  dinner  was 
served  to  the  proud  and  happy  children.  The  firemen  dined 
under  a  large  pavilion  on  the  spacious  lawn  of  Colonel  E.  E. 
Rice,  where  six  hundred  people  were  seated  at  the  table.  The 
repast  was  preceded  by  remarks  from  R.  G.  Lincoln,  Esq., 
President  of  the  day,  and  followed  by  numerous  witty  and 
patriotic  toasts. 

This  festival  of  the  people  in  its  chaste  simplicity  and  uni- 
versal enjoyment  appeals  strongly  to  our  memories,  and  recalls 
the  ancient  fete-days  of  the  Florentines,  or  the  classic  celebra- 
tions of  the  youths  and  maids  of  Athens. 

The  history  of  old  Hallowell  as  a  town  terminates  in 
1852,  for  in  this  year  the  town  became  a  city.  /Until  this  time, 
our  fathers  had  governed  themselves  on  the  good  old  town- 
meeting  plan,  and  had  honorably  conducted  all  municipal  affairs. 
Prosperity  had  blessed  their  shores.  They  had  also  seen 
years  of  adversity  and  depression  from  causes  not  under 
the  control  of  those  in  public  trust.    The  name  of  Old  Hal- 


338 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


lowell  was  held  in  honor,  at  home,  and  everywhere  abroad. 
Her  escutcheon  was  without  a  stain.  But  looking  into  the 
future,  men  of  public  spirit,  those  who  were  ambitious  for  the 
advancement  of  the  business  interests  of  the  place,  deemed  a 
change  in  the  form  of  the  local  government  essential  to  suc- 
cess; and  on  February  17,  1852,  the  new  charter  was  adopted 
and  the  town  became  a  city. 

Our  story  of  Old  Hallowell,  therefore,  naturally  comes  to 
an  end  at  this  date.  New  Hallowell  brought  in  new  life,  new 
people,  new  churches,  new  schools,  and  new  business  enter- 
prises. At  the  magical  touch  of  labor  and  capital,  the  heart 
of  our  granite  hills  was  opened,  and  the  quarries  gave  up  their 
precious  store.  The  frozen  bosom  of  the  Kennebec  yielded 
its  crystal  treasure.  New  industries  were  established  on  the 
Vaughan  stream;  and  new  manufactories  sprang  up  within 
our  borders. 

At  this  time  also,  a  new  volume  was  opened  by  the  city 
fathers  on  the  pages  of  which  a  new  record  was  to  be  inscribed. 
But  our  story  is  a  tale  of  the  past.  Some  of  its  threads,  it  is 
true,  stretch  on  into  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  present  time,  but 
only  so  far  as  they  pertain  to  the  representatives  of  the  old 
families  or  to  the  old  institutions  which  are  still  preserved. 

And  now,  as  we  reverently  and  reluctantly  turn  the  old 
town  escutcheon  to  the  wall,  and  come  to  the  opening  years  of 
the  twentieth  century,  we  find,  notwithstanding  all  the 
changes  of  the  past,  that  Hallowell  is  still  the  same  delightful, 
dear  old  town  as  long  ago.  The  passing  seasons  have  touched 
gently  its  ancient  mansions,  its  majestic  elms,  and  its  familiar 
streets.  The  beauty  of  the  river  and  the  glory  of  the  hills 
remain.  They  can  never  be  marred  by  time.  It  is  therefore 
not  difficult  to  explain  why  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Old  Hal- 
lowell still  love  their  native  town.  However  far,  or  however 
long  they  may  have  wandered,  they  are  still  devotedly  loyal  to 
the  place  of  their  birth.  That  this  is  true  is  proved  by  the 
frequent  visits  of  old  residents,  and  by  their  generous  gifts  to 
Hallowell's  public  institutions. 

A  notable  expression  of  the  loyal  and  abiding  interest  of 
the  children  of  Hallowell  in  the  "Mother-Town"  was  given  on 


The  Reunion 


339 


July  12,  1899,  when  from  north,  south,  east,  and  west,  they  re- 
turned for  a  day  of  reunion  on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec. 
The  occasion  seemed,  indeed,  Uke  a  great  family  gathering 
around  the  mother-hearth.  It  was  a  happy  festival  of  the 
people,  comparable,  in  spirit  and  observance,  with  those  of  the 
olden  times.  The  day  was  made  especially  memorable  by  the 
dedication  of  the  City  Hall,  presented  to  Hallowell  by  Mrs. 
Eliza  Clark  Lowell,  a  lineal  descendant  of  Deacon  Pease  Clark, 
the  first  settler  of  the  town.  The  exercises  opened  with  music, 
and  an  invocation  by  the  Rev.  D.  E.  Miller.  The  keys  of  the 
new  City  Hall  were  presented  to  Mayor  Safford  by  Mr.  Ben 
Tenney,  the  chairman  of  the  building  committee.  Mayor 
Safford,  in  his  response,  paid  a  most  fitting  tribute,  in  behalf 
of  the  citizens  of  Hallowell,  to  Mrs.  Lowell,  and  to  her  family 
name  which  has  been  interwoven  with  the  history  of  Hallowell 
since  the  first  settlement  of  the  town.  An  oration  on  Civic 
Virtue,"  was  delivered  by  Professor  Charles  F.  Richardson,  and 
a  poem,  inspired  by  the  true  spirit  of  welcome,  was  read  by  Mrs . 
Anna  Sargent  Hunt.  Among  the  guests  of  honor  upon  the 
platform  were  Llewellyn  Powers,  Governor  of  Maine,  and  the 
venerable  James  W.  Bradbury  of  Augusta. 

A  brilliant  reception  was  given  in  the  evening  to  the  hun- 
dreds of  guests  within  the  town ;  and  an  address  of  welcome  was 
made  by  the  Honorable  W.  F.  Marston.  Other  parts  in  the  pro- 
gramme were:  "Hallowell  As  It  Is  To-day," by  Thomas  Leigh, 
Esq.;  "Hallowell  And  Its  Possibilities,"  by  W.  W.  Vaughan, 
Esq.;  "Our  School  Days,"  by  Professor  Arthur  M.  Thomas; 
"Literary  Hallowell,"  by  Rev.  Dr.  Butler,  President  of  Colby 
College;  "Hallowell  in  the  War,"  by  General  George  H.  Nye; 
"Reminiscences,"  by  Major  E.  Rowell;  "What  Should  Our 
Birthplace  Mean  to  Us.?"  by  Rev.  D.  E.  Miller.  Letters 
were  also  read  from  Honorable  Gorham  D.^  Gilman,  E.  T. 
Getchell,  Esq.,  General  Thomas  H.  Hubbarcl,  General  O.  O. 
Howard,  and  other  old  residents. 

The  most  delightful  feature  of  this  reunion,  however,  was 
the  afternoon  reception,  at  the  Vaughan  homestead,  where  the 
beautiful  house  and  spacious  grounds  were  thrown  open  with  the 
most  cordial  hospitality,  and  where  the  guests,  like  happy 


340 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


children,  wandered  under  the  oaks  and  pines,  lingered  on  the 
rustic  bridges  that  span  the  stream,  or  sat  upon,  the  broad 
veranda,  while  at  their  feet  the  beloved  Kennebec,  unchanged 
and  unchangeable,  rolled  on  to  the  sea.  Here  gray-haired  men 
and  women  renewed  their  youth,  and  forgot  time  and  distance, 
and  all  else,  save  the  "Welcome  home!"  bestowed  upon  them 
by  their  hosts  and  hostesses  at  this  oldest  mansion .  of  the 
Mother-Town.  At  their  right  hand  were  the  terraced  gardens 
where  the  ancient  sun-dial  has  marked  the  passing  hours  for 
more  than  a  hundred  years;  and  at  their  left  were  the  three  tall 
larches  planted  by  the  daughters  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan, 
and  still  called,  in  their  memory,  the  ''Three  Sisters."  Before 
them,  from  the  banks  of  the  Bombahook  stream,  rose  a  tall, 
gigantic  tree,  the  "Smoking  Pine,"  with  which,  for  generations, 
an  Indian  legend  has  been  associated.  Many,  on  that  day, 
recalled  the  old  tradition;  and,  lest  we  forget,  the  story  is  here 
enshrined. 

THE  SMOKING  PINE 

On  Bombahook's  high  bank  it  stands, 

The  ancient  smoking  pine; 
It  lifts  aloft  its  hoary  hands 
Above  the  wooded  pleasure  lands, 

And  makes  its  mystic  sign. 

Its  gray-green  branches  sway, —  and  then 

Their  ghostly  murmurs  cease; 
A  solemn  silence  fills  the  glen, 
While  Assonimo  smokes  again 

The  spectral  pipe  of  peace. 

We  watch  the  blue-tinged  vaporous  haze 

In  curling  mist  arise; 
And  lo!   to  greet  our  wondering  gaze, 
The  phantom  camp-fires  start  and  blaze 

Beneath  the  twilight  skies. 

Across  the  wildly  dashing  stream 

That  swirls  and  foams  below. 
The  fire-light  throws  its  ruddy  gleam. 
And  dusky  forms  as  in  a  dream. 

Flit  softly  to  and  fro. 


The  Smoking  Pine 


Hush !    'tis  the  Indian  chieftain's  hand 

That  lights  the  calumet; 
He  speaks:   "In  this  our  father's  land, 
Too  long  we  roam,  an  outcast  band, 

On  whom  the  curse  is  set! 

**For  us,  the  hopeless  strife  is  o'er; 

No  warrior  waits  our  call; 
White  brothers !   bid  us  place  once  more 
Upon  the  Bombahook's  fair  shore. 

Our  wigwams  few  and  small ! 

"  And  while  the  torrent  o'er  the  rocks, 

Flows  downward  to  the  tide, 
And  with  its  thundering  echo  mocks 
The  death-chant  of  the  Wawenocs, 

In  peace  let  us  abide. 

"Our  doom  is  sealed,  our  glory  past. 

Our  hearth-fires,  faintly  fanned, 
Die  out;  and,  from  the  heavens  o'ercast, 
The  whirlwind  and  the  tempest's  blast 
Shall  smite  us  from  the  land ! 

"  But  from  the  chieftain's  heart  a  pine 

Blood-set  shall  rise  and  sway. 
Where  Assonimo's  ghostly  line 
Shall  smoke  as  a  perpetual  sign, 
The  pipe  of  peace  for  aye!  " 

The  tempest  came ;   the  prophet  chief, 

With  all  his  people  fell; 
No  death-dirge  droned  for  their  relief ; 
Only  the  pale-face  gazed  in  grief 

Upon  the  wasted  dell. 

The  new  moons  o'er  the  forest-nave, 

Waxed  full  and  slowly  swung ; 
But  when  the  springtide  kissed  the  wave 
From  out  the  Wawenoc's  deep  grave  / 


The  mighty  pine-tree  sprung.  ' 

To-day,  above  the  waters  swift. 

Its  lofty  branches  flare  ; 
And  see,  the  smoke -wreaths  curl  and  lift 
From  Assonimo's  pine  they  drift. 

And  vanish  into  air. 


342 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Many  of  the  guests  at  the  Vaughan  mansion,  on  the  day  of 
the  reunion,  gazed  with  appeaUng  interest  to  the  topmost 
branches  of  this  ancient  tree,  but  saw  no  sign.  Nevertheless, 
it  is  solemnly  asserted  that,  occasionally,  and  under  certain 
atmospheric  conditions,  a  thin  blue  vapor  has  been  seen  to  rise 
from  the  top  of  the  Smoking  Pine.  No  true  son  or  daughter  of 
Old  Hallowell  doubts  that  this  is  the  spectral  haze  from 
Assonimo's  pipe  of  peace  which  shall  continue  to  smoke  so  long 
as  the  Bombahook  flows  into  the  Kennebec. 

Notable  among  the  many  guests  at  the  Vaughan  mansion, 
on  the  day  of  this  joyous  reunion,  was  a  group  of  gray-haired 
"Academy  students,"  who  sat  around  one  of  the  revered  and 
beloved  "preceptors"  of  olden  times,  and  talked  of  school  days, 
in  the  year  1825.  The  "preceptor"  was  the  honorable  James  W. 
Bradbury,  then  ninety-seven  years  of  age.  The  "students"  were 
Mrs.  Nathaniel  Davenport,  Mr.  George  R.  Smith,  and  Thomas 
B.  Merrick,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  They  were  all  octogenarians, 
but  the  glow  of  youth  had  not  departed  from  their  eyes,  nor  its 
fervor  from  their  hearts. 

Distinguished,  also,  among  the  many  guests  was  a  bright- 
eyed,  animated,  youthful  old  lady,  Miss  Maria  Clark,  the  lineal 
descendant  of  Deacon  Pease  Clark,  the  "Father  of  Old  Hal- 
lowell." In  her  straight,  old-fashioned  gown,  her  little  black 
shoulder  cape,  and  her  queer,  indescribable  bonnet.  Miss  Maria 
Clark  was  the  center  of  reverent  and  loving  attention.  She 
now  lies  with  her  fathers,  in  the  old  Hallowell  burying- 
ground,  on  the  river  shore ;  but  her  memory  will  be  perpetuated 
by  the  fine,  commodious  school-house  which,  during  her  life- 
time, she  gave  to  the  children  of  Hallowell,  and  which  is  a 
worthy  monument  to  her  honored  name. 

Hallowell  will  ever  be  the  richer  for  the  memories  of  this 
last  public  festal  day  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  hundreds 
of  men  and  women,  who  came  from  afar,  carried  away  a  renewed 
remembrance  of  the  old-time  beauty  and  the  never-ceasing  hos- 
pitality of  Old  Hallowell.  They  left  behind  them  a  surety  of 
their  loyal  devotion  to  the  place  of  their  birth  and  the  home  of 
their  forefathers. 

Happy  also  is  Hallowell  in  the  literary  tributes  that  have 


I 


The  Hills  of  Hallozvell 


343 


been  paid  to  her  local  attractions  as  well  as  to  her  historic 
and  social  charms.  Most  suggestive  of  the  familiar  and  pic- 
turesque haunts  of  our  youth  was  one  of  the  reunion  letters 
written  by  the  Hon.  Gorham  D.  Oilman. 

"May  your  celebration  be  as  bright  as  the  morning  sun  as 
it  comes  over  the  eastern  hills  of  Chelsea;  its  course  run  as 
smoothly  as  our  beloved  Kennebec  in  the  sunshine  of  summer- 
time; its  music,  as  sweet  and  melodious  as  the  music  of  the 
'Cascade'  in  the  old  Vaughan  brook  used  to  be  in  boyhood's  days; 
its  program,  as  rich  as  the  aromatic  perfume  of  'Merrick's  Pines; ' 
its  hospitality,  as  broad  and  generous  as  the  Vaughan  acres  of 
the  olden  time;  and  its  memories,  as  enduring  as  the  'Gardiner 
ledges  out  over  the  hills.'  May  the  eloquence  of  its  occasion 
awaken  the  Dumonts,  the  Spragues,  the  Otises,  to  listen  to 
words  that  stir  men's  and  women's  hearts;  and  the  closing  hour 
of  the  day  leave  as  resplendent  associations  as  the  glories  of  the 
setting  sun  over  'Powder  House  Hill;'  and  the  same  old  stars 
set  their  night  watch  over  the  sleepers  'on  the  plains'  and  the 
happy  hearts  that  have  been  made  glad  with  the  old  folks,  and 
the  young  folks,  at  home." 

Charming  descriptions  of  local  scenery  may  be  found  in 
Memory  Street^  in  The  End  of  the  Beginnings  and  in  the  prose 
and  poetry  of  many  writers,  but  none  that  appeals  more  strongly 
to  the  hearts  of  the  lovers  of  Hallowell  than  the  lines  by  Mrs. 
Martha  Baker  Dunn,  entitled 


THE  HIIvLS  OF  HALIvOWKLIy 

A  quiet  city,  half  asleep, 

Climbing  the  long  slope  of  a  hill, 
And  seeming  ward  and  watch  to  keep 

Above  the  river  winding  still, 


While  all  around  in  verdure  swell  / 
The  fair,  green  hills  of  Hallowell.  ' 

O  happy  hills!   O  pastures  green! 

What  morning  dreams  your  slopes  have  known ! 
What  fairy  visions  I  have  seen 

When  every  hillside  was  a  throne! 
Each  path  my  childish  feet  knew  well, 

O'er  those  green  hills  of  Hallowell, 


344 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


How  light  those  springing  footsteps  trod! 

What  joy  throbbed  in  that  pulsing  heart! 
The  world  was  then  new-born  of  God, 

And  sin  and  sorrow  had  no  part. 
What  scenes,  what  hopes,  your  paths  could  tell, 

Ye  dear,  lost  hills  of  Hallowell! 

My  way-worn  feet  may  climb  one  day, 
The  self-same  slopes  they  trod  of  yore. 

May  linger  on  the  rock-hewn  way, 
Yet  I  shall  find  there  nevermore 

Those  thronging  shapes  that  used  to  dwell 
On  those  fair  hills  of  Hallowell, 

Oft  when  I  read  in  Sacred  Word, 
"Unto  the  hills  I  lift  mine  eyes," 

I  see  the  well-known  outlines  blurred 
Once  more  against  the  evening  skies; 

I  hear  the  Sabbath  music  swell 
Across  the  hills  of  Hallowell. 

I  hear  the  glad  old  hymns  once  more, 

Voices  long  silent  join  the  lays ; 
They  echo  from  the  viewless  shore  — 

Ah  me!   Heaven  needs  no  sweeter  praise! 
Fond  memory  weaves  a  loving  spell 

Round  the  dear  hills  of  Hallowell. 

And  now  the  changing,  ceaseless  days 

Rolling  remorseless  on,  it  seems 
Twine  a  new  halo  round  those  ways, 

More  sacred  than  my  morning  dreams, 
For  dear  feet  climb — I  know  it  well  — 

The  sunset  hills  of  Hallowell. 

O  faltering  feet  that  were  so  strong, 
I  know  what  heights  ye  erst  have  trod, 

Those  quiet  streets  for  you  have  long 
Been  pathways  up  the  Hills  of  God! 

Steadfast  in  sun  and  shade  as  well, 
Ye  climbed  His  hills  of  Hallowell! 

O  blessed  hills!  your  rugged  ways 

Grow  fair  with  Heaven's  sunset  lights. 

Ye  throng  with  saints  of  other  days 
Borne  on  to  glory  from  your  heights. 

While  soft  the  twilight  breezes  swell 
O'er  the  dear  hills  of  Hallowell. 


L'  Envoi 


345 


And  thus,  although  Hallowell  has  not  become  a  great  and 
grand  metropolis,  as  our  forefathers  vainly  prophesied,  she 
nevertheless  sits  enthroned  upon  her  hillsides,  rich  in  the 
honorable  records  of  her  past  history,  in  the  eminent  and  useful 
men  and  women  whom  she  has  sent  into  the  world,  in  the  names 
inscribed  upon  her  literary  annals;  in  her  churches,  her  schools, 
her  library,  and  her  city  buildings;  in  her  noble  and  public- 
spirited  body-politic;  in  the  loyalty  and  devotion  of  her  children, 
wherever  they  may  be;  and  in  the  boundless  measure  of 
affection  that  comes  back  to  her  after  many  days.  This 
inheritance  is  a  permanent  possession.  The  time-spirit  of  Old 
Hallowell  remains  immutable;  and  whatever  outward  changes 
the  coming  years  may  bring,  here,  in  our  midst. 


 "a  voice  shall  be 

That  speaks  for  immortality." 


INDEX 


Abbot,  George,  126. 

Abbot,  Mary  Susan,  97. 

Abbot  Squire,"  122;  son  of  Jacob 
and  Lydia;  m.  Betsey  Abbot, 
123;  children:  Sallucia,  Jacob, 
John  Stevens  Cabot,  Gorham 
Dummer,  Clara  Ann,  Charles 
Edward,  Samuel  Phillips,  123. 
Home  life  of,  123. 

Abbott,  Austin,  162. 

Abbott,  Edward,  123. 

Abbott,  Jacob,  124-125,  127;  m. 
Harriet  Vaughan,  97,  124,  259  ; 
children:  Benjamin  Vaughan, 
Austin,  Lyman,  Edward,  125, 200. 

Abbott,  John  S.  C.  123,  125,  197; 
reminiscences  of  his  childhood, 
123;  at  Bowdoin  on  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  his  graduation, 
126. 

Abbott,  Sallucia,  134,  135,  220. 

Abenaki  Indians,  i,  2,  6,  7;  char- 
acter, customs,  games,  folk- 
lore, etc.,  8-1 1 ;  village,  7; 
women,  9. 

Abenaki  Ivullaby,  9. 

Abenaki  Story-teller,  i. 

Academy,  Hallowell,  incorpo- 
rated, 55;  public  exhibition  in 
1796,  209;  notable  preceptors, 
209-217;  notable    pupils,  209- 

2TO. 

Academy,  Vaughan  Female,  222- 
224;  founded  by  Rev.  John 
Apthorp  Vaughan,  222;  assisted 
by  Miss  Mary  Merrick,  222  ;  list 
of  pupils,  222-223  '■>  method  of 
instruction,  223 ;  reunion  in 
1854,  224. 

Actors,  Boston  Company  of  Come- 
dians, 261. 

Adlam,  Rev.  S.,  206. 


Agry  Capt.  George,  m.  Caroline 
Hodges,  133;  children:  Adelaide, 
(Mrs.  A.  B.  Moulton),  Caroline 
Amelia,  (Mrs.  Wiley  S.  Ed- 
mands),  George,  father  of  George 
Jr.,  and  Warren,  134. 

Agry,  Jack,  302-303. 

Agry,  Capt.  John,  m.  Elizabeth 
Reed,  132  ; 

Agry,  Capt.  Thomas,  m.  ist  Sally 
Nye  ;  second  Sally  Hammet ;  ist 
daughter,  (Mrs.  Judge  Kings- 
bury), 2d.  daughter,  Martha, 
(Mrs.  William  O.  Vaughan),  324. 

Aiken,  Jesse,  138;  m.  Mary  Fuller; 
children:  Eliza  J.,  Edward, 
Fuller,  Augusta,  (Mrs.  William 
J.  Kilburn),  177. 

Alcove,  the,  221. 

Alden,  John,  at  Koussinok,  4. 

Allen,  Rev.  Charles  F.,  263. 

Allen,  Dr.  Frederick,  184 ;  Mrs. 
Charlotte  Wales  Allen,  184-185  ; 
parents  of  Miss  Clara  Allen. 

Allen,  Rev.  John,  49. 

Allen,  Hon.  William,  211,  265. 

American  Advocate,  161,  254,  255; 
Editor  Gilman's  enterprise,  254. 

Andrews,  Major  Thomas  H.,  321- 
322  ;  m.  ist,  Martha  Curtis,  185  ; 
2d,  Louise  Farrell,  185 ;  chil- 
dren :  William  Henry,  Elizabeth, 
Martha  (Mrs.  Frank  E.  Mulli- 
ken),  Julia  M.^  185. 

Annals  of  Warr^,  Eaton's,  41. 

Antislavery  Agitation,  first  society, 
officers,  164 ;  Candidate  for  Presi- 
dency, 168.  Votes  for,  168.  Anti- 
slavery  sermon  in  the  Unitarian 
Church,  333. 

Archbishop  of  the  Philippines, 
20T. 


348 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Ariadne,  the,  70. 

Arnold,  Benedict,  at  Fort  Western, 
27 ;  oflScers  of  his  regiment,  27. 
Art  Club,  children's,  220-221. 
Artillery,  Hallowell,  the,  334. 
Asiminasqua,  7. 
Assumption,  Chapel  of,  10,  12. 
Atherton,  Peter,  321. 
Atkins,  James,  177. 
Augusta,  1797,  62. 
Automobile,  Hallowell's  first,  330. 
Ave  et  Vale,  poem,  217-218. 

Bailey,  Rev.  Jacob,  21,  46. 

Baker,  Henry  Knox,  son  of  Amos, 
157-159 ;  Di*  Sarah  Lord,  158- 
159 ;  children  :  Frances  Weston, 
Ellen,  Annie,  Harriet,  Sanford, 
Martha,  159. 

Ballard,  Mrs.  43. 

Banks,  Annie  S.,  182. 

Banks,  Mrs.  Martha  Gordon.  27. 

Barnekoy,  200. 

Barrett,  Joseph,  186;  Mrs.  Joseph; 
Oliver  and  Elizabeth,  311. 

Beeman,  John,  Sr.,  38,  184. 
John,  Jr.,  183,  Edith, 
Katharine,  Mrs.  Sarah  Carr,  183. 

Belcher,  Mr.,  the  Handel  of 
Maine,"  209. 

Beldens,  the,  303;  Louisa,  Jona- 
than, 303-304. 

Belle  Savage,  the,  70. 

Bentham,  Jeremy,  80. 

Bequests  to  Library,  240-241. 

Berry  A.,  335. 

Berry,  Mrs.  Annie,  178. 

Berry,    Cascolene  Hortense,  178, 
Edward  Williams,  178,  Joseph, 
178. 

Black  Book,hy  Mrs.  Anne  Royall, 
284. 

Blish,  Capt.  James,  71. 
•'Blue    Stocking    Club,"  poem, 
269-270. 


Bod  well,  Henry,  315. 

Bodwell,  Joseph  and  Mary  How ; 

315  ;  ancestry  of,  315. 
Bodwell,  Joseph  R.,  307,  316-318; 

President  of  Hallowell  Granite 
Works,  316-317;  Governor  of 
Maine,  317-318;  death  of,  317; 
personal  character,  318 ;  burial 
services,  318.  Eunice  Fox,  316 ; 
Hannah  C.  Fox,  316  ;  Joseph  F., 

316  ;  Persis  Mary,  316. 
Boies  Antipas,  12. 
Bombahook,  i,  2. 

Bond,  Rev.  Elias,  166, 199.  Thomas, 
Sr.,  141;  Thomas,  Jr.,  141-142 ; 
m.  Lucretia  Page :  children  of, 
141. 

Books,  old,  242-248. 
Bowling  Alley  on  Leonard  estate, 
179. 

Brackett,  J.  B.,  226. 
Bradbury,   James   W.,  269,  211, 
342. 

Bradford,  Gov.,  2,  3,  4. 
Bradford,  Rev.  M.,  208. 
Bradstreet,    Gov.     Simon.  Anne 

Dudley,  160. 
Brattle,  Thomas,  12. 
Brewster,  Elder  William,  167. 
Bridge,  Horatio,  287.    Hon.  James, 

35-36. 

Bridge,  Kennebec,  charter  for,  57. 

Brooks,  Rev.  Phillips,  287. 

Brooks,  T.  B.,  236,  287. 

Brooks,  William,  36. 

Brown,  Nathaniel,  179,  Mary 
(Parsons)   179.    Lucia,  221. 

Bryant,  William  Cullen,  258. 

Burr,  Aaron,  27. 

Buck,  Alfred  E.,  226,  227-228. 

Buckminster,  Rev.  J.  S.,  282. 

Bulfinch,  Charles,  architect,  193, 
287.  Ellen  Susan,  author  of 
Life  and  Letters  of  Charles 
Bulfinch,  96 ;  Thomas,  author  of 


Index 


349 


the  Age  of  Fable,  96;  letter 
from  Madam  Bulfinch,  272. 

Buonaparte's  Address  to  his  sol- 
diers, 251.  Fall  of,  256. 

Burne-Jones,  275. 

Burnham,  Jonas,  203,  226. 

Butler,  Ellen  Hamlin,  author  of 
the  poems  Hallowell  and  The 
Creating  of  the  Book,  239- 
240. 

Calvert,  Richard,  179. 

Candidates  for  the  Hallowell  Pul- 
pit, 45- 

Carr,  Capt.  George,  320. 

Cathedral  at  Manilla,  201. 

Chace,  Charles  B.,  preceptor  of 
Hallowell  Academy,  216. 

Chadwick,  Cordelia,  313-314,  Sam- 
uel, 313. 

Characters,  romantic,  quaint,  and 
interesting,  290-306. 

Charter,  City  the,  adopted,  338. 

Cheever,  Elizabeth,  134 ;  Rev. 
George,  1 19-12 1 ;  Rev.  Henry 
T.,  121-122;  Nathaniel  38,118- 
121,  254. 

Chessman,  Rev.  D.,  206,  286. 

Chester  Plantation,  194  ;  Congre- 
gational church  of. 

"Chief  Citizens,"  Hallowell's,  307- 
3^8. 

Child,  Jonas,  36,  182. 

Churches  of  Hallowell,  Baptist, 
206  ;  Methodist,  206;  Old  South, 
194-206;  Unitarian,  207;  Uni- 
versalist,  206. 

Church  of  the  Mediator,  Phila- 
delphia, 97. 

Church,  Samuel,  36. 

City  Hall,  dedication  of,  339. 

Civic  Virtue,  oration  by  Prof. 
Charles  F.  Richardson,  339. 

Clark,  Elizabeth,  222. 


Clark,  Isaac  and  Alice,  154. 

Clark,  Maria,  342. 

Clark,  Pease,  Deacon,  16-18,  21,  24; 

Father  of  Hallowell,  342  ;  Peter, 

17. 

Clark,   Hon.    William,    154;  m. 

Elizabeth  Morse,  154;  children, 

William  Henry,  Charlotte,  (Mrs. 

George  S.    Peters),  Elizabeth, 

Mary,  154. 
Cogswell,  Nathaniel,  64,  65. 
Colcord,  Mrs.  Carrie  Titcomb,  324; 

Nathaniel  39. 
Cole,  Rev.  J.,  173,  207,  336. 
Collins,  Delia  E.,  171. 
Cony,  Daniel,  Judge,  29,  30,  31,  61, 

279. 

Cony,  Mrs.  Susanna,  276 

Cony,  Dea.  Samuel,  29,  33;  Lieut. 
Samuel,  29. 

Cooper,  Henry,  324;  James,  324; 
lylewellyn,  m.  Elizabeth  An- 
drews, 326 ;  children  :  lylewellyn, 
James,  Thomas,  327. 

Cooper,  James  Fenimore,  258. 

Cope,  John  Edmund,  105. 

Costumes  of  the  period,  41-42. 

Court-house,  erected,  55. 

Court,  Supreme  Judicial ;  sessions 
of,  55-56. 

Cowan,  Ephraim,  18. 

Cox  (or  Cocks)  James,  son  of  Capt. 
James,  19,  22,  23.  Gershom,  m. 
Sarah  Hussey ;  sons :  Comfort 
Smith,  Arthur,  William  Henry, 
James  v.,  G.  Ivcander,  323.  Com- 
fort Smith,  m.  Abigail  Smiley; 
children  :  Saijah  H.,  Mary  Cora, 
Barrett,  and  Elizabeth  A.,  323. 

Craig,  Elias,  36. 

Cripps,  Ivize,  305-306. 

Crosby,  George,  36. 

Curtis,  Rev.  Jonathan,  312. 

Curtis,  Thomas  W.  T.,  312,  Mrs. 
Virginia  Hubbard,  312,  313,  314; 


350 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


children:  John  Hubbard,  312, 
Thomas  Hamlin,  312,  Clarine 
Wells,  (Mrs.  Thomas  Hamlin 
Curtis)  312. 

Currier,  A.  C,  237;  Alger  V.,  186. 

Cutler,  John  L.,  279. 

Davenport,  Abram,  194 ;  Benjamin, 

182;  Jonathan,   19,  21,  22,  23; 

Thomas,    323 ;    Nathaniel,  S. 

Franklin,  Ralph,  324. 
Davenport,  Mrs.  Nathaniel,  342. 
Davis,  Benjamin,  Nathan,  Daniel, 

176. 

Day,  Franklin  A.,  259,  m.  Hannah 

Squire,  175.  Jerome,  182.  Frank, 

Joe,  Preston,  Lizzie,  175. 
Deacon  Giles  Distillery,  by  Rev. 

George  Cheever,  1 20-121. 
Dearborn,  Capt.  Benjamin,  168. 
Dearborn,    Capt.     George,    322  ; 

Capt.  Henry,  322. 
Dearborn,  Henry,  27. 
Decker,     Mrs.     Elizabeth,    260 ; 

daughters,  260. 
De  Grand,  Plutarch  Bonaparte,  305. 
De  La  Croix,  Madame,  165,  223. 
Derby,  Mrs.  Richard,  282. 
Division  of  the  town,  55,  57,  58,  61. 
Dole,  Mrs.  Caroline  Fletcher,  223, 

224. 

Dole,  Dea.  Bbenezer,  m.  Hannah 
Balch;  children,  164.  Daniel 
N.,  165;  Eben  G.,  166;  fam- 
ily, 166;  Henry  L.,  166. 
Drew,    William,  39 ;  Allen,  260 ; 

Capt.  John  F.,  325. 
Druillettes,  4,  10,  11. 
Dudley,  Gov.  Thomas,  115. 
Dumaresq,  James,  279-280 ;  The 
'*  Beauty  of  the  Kennebec,"  279. 
Dummer,   Almira,  186 ;  Charles, 
186,  Nathaniel,  38,  107-109,  162  ; 
Mary  Kilton  Dummer,  107-109  ; 
children,  108. 


Dumont,  John  P.,  139,  333. 
Dunn,  Mrs.  Martha    Baker,  159, 

239,  343- 
Dutton,  Samuel,  38. 


Eastern  Star,  the,  56,  249. 
Eastman,  Mrs.  Charlotte  Sewall, 
135- 

Echlin,  Lord,  295-296. 

Eliot,  George,  135. 

Elliott,  C.  L.,  Portrait  painter,  105. 

Emerson,  Ezekiel,  53. 

Emmons,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  151. 

Judge  Williams,  151-153; 

family,  151-153- 
Rev.    Henry  Vaughan, 
153 ;  family,  153. 
•    Lucy  Vaughan,  153. 
End  of  the  Beginning,  novel  by 
Prof.    Charles   F.  Richardson, 

293>  343- 
Enterprise,  the,  70. 
Evans,  Daniel,  39. 
Evans,  Hon.  George,  287-288,  329. 
Everett,  Rev.  C.  C,  206-207. 
Every-day  Life  of  the  Period,  40-44. 

Figures  of  the  Past,  extract,  from 
186. 

Firemen's  department;  The  "Lion" 

and  the  "Tiger,"  334. 
Flagg,  John  P.,  186;  Mrs.  Mary 

Flagg,  105. 
Floral  Procession,  336-337. 
Forster,  Rev.  Isaac,  52. 
Fort  and  Hook,  Men  of,  25-39. 
Fort  Western,  3,  16,  18,  29. 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  79,  Memoir  of, 

86. 

Freeman,  John,  Edward,  Samuel, 
Ebenezer,  176 ;  Mrs.  Caroline 
Page  Freeman,  176,  226.  Carrie 
E.,  247. 

Free  Masons,  Kennebec  Lodge,  333. 


Index 


351 


French,  Josiah,  18;  Jolin  L.,  176; 
family,  176. 

Fugitive  Slaves,  167,  168. 

Fuller,  Rev.  Caleb,  206  ;  Eben,  32  ; 
Eliza  Williams,  32,  276  ;  Fred- 
erick A.,  32;  George,  182; 
Chief  Justice  Melville  W.,  33; 
Hon.  J.  Warren,  197. 

Fuller,  Hiram,  179 ;  family,  179. 

Gardiner,  D.  1^.;  sons,  182. 

Gardiner,  Frederick,  93 ;  John , 
337 ;  Rev.  John  Silvester 
John,    282;  Robert  Hallowell, 

93,  281,  288;  Sylvester  (or 
Silvester)  Gardiner,  18,  36,  281. 

Garnet,  Rev.  H.  H.,  167. 

Getchell,  Everett  T.,  240. 

Gillet,  Rev.  Eliphalet,  installed 
1796,  57,  196-198.  Called  the 
"  Addison  of  Maine,"  197. 

Gilley,  John,  19 ;  Gilley's  point, 
19. 

Gilman,  Eliphalet,  38,  Gideon,  198. 
Gilman,    Hon,    Gorham.  Letter 
from,  343. 

John,  163. 
Samuel  K.,  163. 
Gilman,  Judge  Samuel  K.,  160- 
163  ;  ancestry  of,  160  ;  family  : 
160-163. 

Gilman,  Sophia  B.,  163,  238,  no, 

236,  238. 
Girls'  Industrial  School,  186. 
Glazier,  Franklin,  247  ;  family: 247. 
Glazier,  William  Belcher,  156,  247, 

263,  336  ;  Franklin,  247. 
Goodale,  Ezekiel,  246,  255. 
Goodwin,  Daniel  Raynes,  D.  D. 

94,  212-214;  preceptor  of  Hal- 
lowell Academy,  212  ;  Memoir 
of,  213-214  ;  Mrs.  Mary  Merrick 
Goodwin,  213;  children:  Anna 
H.,  Mary,  Harold,  213  ;  family 
life,  213. 


Gow,  Dea.  James,  199. 
Greeley,  Moses,  19;  Seth,  19. 
Gurley,  Mary,  197. 

Hains,  John,  38. 

Haines,  Major  William,  183. 

Hallowell,  ancient  records,  13  ;  in- 
corporation of,  21  ;  division  of, 
57,  61;  name  of,  21;  first  town 
meeting,  22;  list  of  officers,  22; 
early  settlers,  18,  19;  sources  of 
prosperity,  67. 

Hallowell  Artillery,  334;  lyight 
Infantry,  168,  334;  Independent 
Lancers,  172. 

Hallowell,  Benjamin,  18,  36,  281 ; 

Briggs,  38;  Robert,  281; 
Sarah,  75;  William,  281. 

Hallowell  Gazette,  172,  255-257. 

Hallowell  House,  172,  173, 

Hamlin,  Theophilus,  sons  of,  36. 

Hancock,  Governor,  208. 

Hard  Cider  Campaign,  332. 

Harrington,  61. 

Harris,  Deacon  Obadiah,  194. 

Harvard  College,  entrance  require- 
ments, 45. 

Haskell,  Master,  225. 

Hathaway,  177. 

Hawthorne,  287. 

Hazlitt,  Rev.  William,  50-52,  225. 

Henry  Reed,  the,  321-322. 

Hill,  Dr.  H.  H.,  330. 

Hills  of  Hallowell,  poem  by  Martha 
Baker  Dunn,  343,  344. 

Hinckley,  Shubael,  Thomas,  38. 

Histoire  des  Abenakis,  4. 

Hospitalities,  interchange  of,  on 
the  Kennebeci  268-281. 

Howard,  Rev.  H.  R.,  247 ; 

Captain  James,  16,  18,  23, 
26,  28. 

Howard,  John,  20,  28; 

Col.  Samuel,  20,  28;  chil- 
dren of,  28. 
William,  20,  28; 


352 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Howland,  Jolin,  agent  of  Kennebec 

trading-post,  4. 
Hubbard,  William,  307. 

Dr.  John,  Sr.,  307. 
Dr.  John,  Jr.,  307-311, 
312 ;  professional  life, 
308,  309 ;  Governor  of 
Maine,  309,  310;  Recep- 
tion at  the  Hallowell 
House,  310;  Mrs.  Sarah 
Barrett  Hubbard,  311 ; 
family  life,  312 ;  Mrs. 
Virginia  Hubbard  Cur- 
tis, 312;  Miss  Emma 
Hubbard,  312. 
Hubbard,   Capt.  John,  313;  his 

death  at  Port  Hudson,  313. 
Hubbard,  General  Thomas  H., 
314 ;  benefactor  of  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege and  the  Hubbard  Free  Lib- 
rary, 314;  family  of,  314.  Hub- 
bard homestead  in  Hallowell, 
314,  315. 

Hunt,  Mrs.  Anna  Sargent,  author 

of  Reunion  Poem,  339. 
Huntington,  Samuel  W.,  family  of, 

168,  169. 

Simon  and  Margaret 
Baret,  169. 


Jimmy  the  Bugler,  296-298. 
Johnson,  Mark,  family  of,  182. 
Joy,   Hiram;    daughter  Caroline, 

179,  180. 
Judd,  Rev.  Sylvester,  279. 
Judson,  Rev.  Adoniram,  53. 

Kaler,  the  Wizard,  290,  291. 

Kempton,  ship-builder,  321. 

Kendall,  William,  303. 

Kennebec  Benevolent  Union,  334. 

Kennebec  bridge;  Company  incor- 
porated, 61. 

Kennebec  or  Plymouth  Company,  1 2 . 

Kennebec  Patent,  12. 

Kennebec  Railroad,  161. 

"Kennebecker,"  «f7w  de plume  oi 
Captain  John  F.  Drew,  325. 

Kennebecker,  the,  edited  by  Henry 
K.  Baker,  257,  258. 

Kent,  Nathaniel,  65. 

Kilburn,  William  J.,  177. 

Kilton,  Maiy,  109;  Kilton,  Sarah, 
109,  no. 

Kimball,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Dole,  259. 
Kimball,  Captain  Nathaniel,  328. 
King  Philip's  War,  12. 
Kingsbury,  Captain  S.  A.,  172. 
Kingsbury,  Judge,  324. 
Kinne,  William,  211. 


Lakeman,  Thomas,  descendants  of, 

Indian  Queen,  schooner,  70.  jgQ 

Industry,  sloop,  40.  Lamb,  Charles,  305. 

Ingraham,  Sir  Arthur,  127.  Lambard,  Allen,  Barnabas,  Thomas, 

Beriah,  36;  James  M.,  ^5 

127;      Jeremiah,     36;  i^aughton,    Thomas    and  Molly; 

Rev.  Joseph  Holt,  127-  gaily,  168. 

129,  293;  author  of  The  i^aurens,  Henry,  John,  79. 

Prince  of  the  House  of  lawyers  of  Hallowell,  136-159. 

David,  etc.  Lebell,  Monsieur,  89. 

Intelligencer,  the,  extract  from,  60.  Lee,  Jesse,  206. 

Lewes,  Mrs.  (George  Eliot),  135. 

Jay,  John,  79,  80.  Libraries   of    Hallowell,  229-241. 

/^r^<?j,  the;  British  prison-ship,  168.  The  Vaughan  Library,  229-230; 

Jewett,  Thomas  G.,  28.  Vaughan  library   for  children, 

Jewett,  Rev,  Caleb,  49.  230 ;  the  Otis  library,  collection 


Index 


353 


of  rare  old  books,  231-234;  library 
of  the  Franklin  Debating  Soci- 
ety* 235  ;  of  the  Kennebec  Lib- 
rary Society;  of  the  Young 
Men's  Society,  235 ;  Goodale's 
Circulating  Library,  235 ;  Hal- 
lowell  Social  Library,  236-238 ; 
Hubbard  Free  Library,  238-241. 
Light  Infantry,  Hallowell,  the, 
172,  334. 

Lights  and  Shadows  of  the  Past,  by 

Rev.  J.  H.  Ingraham,  198. 
Lincoln,  Laban,  175;  Rodney  G., 

167,  337;  children  of,  175. 
Lithgow,  General  William,  Jr.,  34 ; 

Captain  William,  34;  Robert,  34; 

Colonel  Arthur,  35;  James  Noble, 

35;  Llewellyn  W.,  35. 
Littlefield,  Seth,  176 ;  descendants 

of,  176. 

Livermore,  Jason  38,  194 ;  Colonel 
Danf  orth  P. ,  publisher  and  teleg- 
rapher, 173,  246,  248;  Miss 
Emma  Livermore,  expert  teleg- 
rapher and  accomplished  musi- 
cian, 248,  249. 

Locke,  Master  Samuel,  225,  259. 

Log-Cabin,  Whig  club-house  in 
1840,  332. 

Longfellow,  with  his  classmates  at 
Bowdoin,  in  1875,  126. 

Lord,  Augustine,  335  ;  Philip,  39. 

Louisiana,  Sketches  of,  by  Amos 
Stoddard,  137. 

Louis  Philippe  in  Hallowell, 
story  of,  96,  283-284. 

Lovejoy,  Rev.  Joseph  C,  166,  168, 
171,  173,  174,  Preceptor  of  Hal- 
lowell Academy,  212 ;  leader  in 
temperance  and  antislavery 
movements,  1 71-174.  His  descen- 
dants, 174. 

Lowell,  Eliza  Clark,  24,  239,  339. 

Lyceum,  the  Hallowell,  262-264; 
eminent  lecturers,  263. 


Mail  route  from  Hallowell  to  Port- 
land in  1774,  56. 

Maine  Missionary  Society  organ- 
ized, 1807,  197. 

Man  of  Ice,  the,  293-295. 

Mann,  Dr.  Ariel,  188. 

Manning,  Corporal,  299,  300. 

Manning,  William,  father  of  Mrs. 
Sarah  Manning  Vaughan;  Wil- 
liam, Jr.,  Governor  of  the  Bank 
of  England;  Cardinal  Manning, 
78. 

Martin,  Alfred  and  Lydia,  Julia 

Cascolene,  177. 
Martin,  Mrs.  Persis  Bodwell,  316. 
Massena,  General,  at  Milan,  251. 
Masters,  Colonel  Andrew,  247-248. 
Mather,  Rev.  Cotton,  193. 
Matthews,  William,  38. 
Maurault,  4. 

Mayo,  Ebenezer,  shipbuilder,  38, 

70;  Captain  Ephriam,  168;  Rev. 

John,  Puritan  divine,  167. 
McClench,  George  B.,  330. 
McMaster,  William,  194. 
Means,  Mark,  182. 
Meeting-house  Beggar,  the,  by  Rev. 

J.  H.  Ingraham,  292,  293. 
Meeting-house  built  at  the  Fort," 

49. 

Meeting-house,  Old  South,  193-207. 
Mellen,  Chief  Justice,  104,  113. 
Melvin,  Alonzo,  248. 
Memory  Street,  by  Mrs.  Martha 

Baker  Dunn,  343. 
"  Men  of  the  Dawn,"  2,  II. 
Men  of  the  Fort  and  Hook,  25-39. 
Merchants  in  179^,  64,  65. 
Merrick,  John,  E^q.,  38,  99-106,  200 ; 

character,  99,  103 ;  memoir  of,  99 ; 

ancestry,  100;     education,  100; 

expedition  to   Quebec,  101-103  J 

tribute  to,  104-105  ;  family,  105  ; 

residence  of,  106 ;  octagon  parlor, 

124. 


354 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Merrick,  William  H.,  105,  148; 
Samuel,  of  Ivondon,  100 ;  Samuel 
Vaughan,  105,  209  ;  children  of, 
105  ;  Thomas  Belsham  Merrick, 
105,  209,  340 ;  children  of,  105. 

Merrill,  Ambrose,  177,  321,  335; 
Kllen,  177. 

Miles,  Rev.  Mr.,  207. 

Militia,  Colonel  Vaughan's  Reg- 
iment, 92. 

Miller,  Rev.  D.  B.,  339. 

Montezuma,  the,  60. 

Moody,  Nathan,  130;  Miss  Mary, 
130,  135,  204 ;  Paul  and  Mary  of 
Byfield,  129  ;  Preceptor  Samuel, 
129;  anecdote  of,  21 0-21 1 ;  his 
family  and  descendants,  129-130. 

Morgan,  Charles  B.,  105. 

Morgan,  Old  Squire,  298,  299. 

Morse,  Rev.  Charles,  206. 

Morse,  William,  Jr.,  38. 

Morton,  A.  B.,  Philander,  Frank- 
lin J.,  Priscilia  B.,  183. 

Morton,  Mrs.  Caroline  Joy;  J. 
Stirling,  Charles,  Joy,  Paul, 
Mark,  180. 

Mulliken,  Frank  B.,  185. 

Murray,  Rev.  John,  47. 

Museum,  lyowell,  dedication  of, 
239- 

Music  in  Hallowell,  259-261 ;  Har- 
monic Society,  260;  oratorios, 
261;  Old  South  choir,  200-202, 
260  ;  Universalist  choir,  260. 

Nash,  Captain  Charles  B.,  249. 

Nason,  Arthur  Huntington,  170; 
Bartholemew,  171;  Charles  H,, 
170;  Bdward,  171;  Bdwin  F., 
170;  Bmma  Huntington,  170,  238; 
Frederick  B.,  170 ;  Joseph  Frost, 
170  ;  Margaret,  171 ;  Mary  Welch, 
170;  Richard  of  Bngland, 
170;    Richard  of  Kittery,  170. 

Natahanada,  5,  6. 


Newspapers,  Eastern  Star,  249 ; 
Tocsin,  250-257  ;  American  Advo- 
cate, 254-255 ;  Hallowell  Gazette, 
255-257;  Intelligencer,  59;  Ken- 
nebecker,  257,  258;  Maine  Culti- 
vator and  Weekly  Gazette,  258 ; 
Liberty  Standard,  175. 

Ney,  nephew  of  Marshal  Ney,  284. 

Nidoba,  Indian  custom,  7. 

Noble,  Rev.  Seth,  50. 

Norris,  James,  38, 

North,  Hon.  James  W.,  32  ;  Captain 
John;  Joseph,  32;  Madame 
North,  276,  283. 

North  Bastern  Boundary,  148. 

Nourse,  Dr.  Amos,  171,  188. 

Nye,  Ansel,  Blisha,  38;  Stephen, 
William,  177. 

Nye,  J.  Bdwin,  177. 

Nye,  General  George,  177. 

Observations .  on  the  Conduct  of 
Different  Governments,  253. 

Odlin,  Deacon  John,  John,  114. 

Old  Books  and  Newspapers,  242-258. 
Old  Grimes  is  dead,"  255. 

Old  South  Church,  193-207 ;  His- 
torical Sketch  of,  202  ;  Meeting- 
house erected,  1796,  57 ;  members 
of,  198,  199 ;  bell-tower,  195,  203 ; 
choir,  199-202;  tribute  to,  by 
John  Drew ;  bell  made  by  Paul 
Revere  and  Son,  Old  South 
Clock,  202. 

Old  South  Church,  poem,  by 
Mary  B.  Moody,  204-205. 

Old  South,  organized  1790,  193; 
Sunday  School,  191;  church  des- 
troyed by  fire,  203,  204. 

Ordinations  of  the  period,  53. 

Otis,  Hon.  John,  93,  277 ;  his  family, 
148  ;  member  of  the  United  States. 
Boundary  Commission,  148 ;  Uni- 
ted States  Senator,  149 ;  personal 
character  and  family  life  ;  letter- 


Index 


355 


from  General  O.  O.  Howard,  149, 
150;  Otis  lyibrary,  231-234. 
Otis,  Oliver  and  Betsey,  147. 

Paddy,  William,  6. 
Page,  Aaron,  38. 

Page,  Annie  F.,  author  of  His- 
torical Sketch  of  Old  South 
Church,  49,  191,  192. 

Page,  Dr.  Benjamin,  Sr.,  114; 
ancestry,  115;  children  of,  115. 

Page,  Dr.  Benjamin,  Jr.,  38,  64, 
115-117,191,284;  character  and 
professional  life,  115-116;  Abi- 
gail Cutler,  116;  children,  117. 

Page,  Mrs.  Caroline  Freeman,  226, 

247- 
Page,  David,  175  ;  children  of,  176. 
Page,  Bzekiel,  19;  Kzekiel,  Jr.,  19. 
Page,  John  Odlin,   64,   no,  117, 
201,   259;    Sarah   Kilton,  117; 
children,  117. 
Page,  Rufus  K.,  first  mayor  of  Hal- 
lo well,    321;    ship-builder  and 
steamboat  owner,  117,  118,  320, 
321,    328;   Caroline  Hull,  118; 
Martha  Howard,  118;  children, 
118. 

Page,  Simon,  190-192;  Mayor  of 
Hallowell,  190;  character  and  life- 
work,  190-191 ;  Mrs.  Fraziette 
Page,  tribute  to,  191-192;  child- 
ren: Julia,  (Mrs.  Henry  Samp- 
son), Annie  F.,  Benjamin,  191; 
glimpse  of  the  Page  home,  192. 

Paine,  Henry  W.,  155-156;  Jennie 
Warren,  156,  215 ;  Lucy  Coffin, 
155- 

Paine,  Rev.  Jotham,  316;  Persis 
Bodwell,  316  ;  Charles  Bodwell, 
316. 

Parker,  the  Ciceronian,  282. 
Parkman,  Dr.  Samuel,  94. 
Parsons,  the  junk-dealer,  305. 
Parsons,  Theophilus,  138,  282. 


Patent,  granted  to  Plymouth  Col- 
ony, II,  12. 

Patterson,  Captain  James,  29. 

Peabody,  Elizabeth,  269;  author  of 
the  Blue  Stocking  Club,  269,  270, 
271. 

Perley,  Caroline  A.,  226. 

Perley,  Hon.  Nathaniel,  39,  136, 
137,  138,  198,  334;  tribute  to,  138. 
MaryDummer,  139;  Louisa,  (Mrs. 
John  P.  Dumont),  139. 

Perley,  Jeremiah,  331. 

Pettengill,  Deacon  Benjamin,  194; 
Daniel,  52. 

Political  Crisis,  The,  by  Amos 
Stoddard,  137. 

Pollard,  Amos,  36;  Pollard's  tav- 
ern, 43. 

Powder  House  Hill,  15. 

Phebe,  the,  59. 

Phenix,  the,  59. 

Philbrook,  Job,  18;  Jonathan,  18. 
Pierce,  E).  G.,  ship-builder,  320,  321. 
Pilgrim  Fathers,  2 ;  on  the  Kenne- 
bec, 5,  13. 
Pillar  of  Fire ,  128. 
Pilsbury,  Isaac,  69. 
"  Pisgah,"  49. 
Pitt,  80. 

Plymouth  merchants,  2,  3 ;  trading- 
post  on  the  Kennebec,  3,  4. 

Plymouth  proprietors  on  the  Ken- 
nebec, 12. 

Pratt,  Miss  Mary,  305. 

Prence,  Governor  Thomas,  5,  167. 

Prescott,  Benjamin,  38. 

Primrose,  the,  70. 

Prince,  John,  49.  1 

Prince  of  the  Houjse  of  David,  The^ 
1,28. 

Public  Interests,  331-345- 
Publishing  Business,  254-258. 
Putnam,  the  Inventor,  304. 

Queen  of  Sheba,  298. 
Quincy,  Josiah,  186, 187. 


356 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Randall,  D.  B.,  206. 
Randall,  Robert,  65,  194. 
Rapid,  the,  70. 

Raymond,  William  Henry,  174; 
Anna  Louise  Ivovejoy,  174;  chil- 
dren of,  174. 

Reception  at  Vaughan  mansion, 
1899,  340,  342. 

Red  Histories,  125. 

Reed,  Henry,  321,  335. 

Reed,  Mrs.  Jean  Murray,  47. 

Religious  Services,  1771-1797,  44-54. 

Representative  Families,  107-135, 
160-192. 

Revere,   Paul,   and    Son,  letter 

from,  195. 
Rice,  Colonel  E.  E.,  337. 
Rice,  Hon.  Richard  D.,  164,  175, 

330. 

Rice,  John,  198. 

Richardson,  Professor  Charles  F., 

189,  239-241,  293,339;  his  literary 

works,  189. 
Richardson,  Dr.  M.  C,  188-189; 

family  of,  189. 
Richmofidy  the  John  W.,  328. 
Robbins,  Hon.  Chandler,  38,  132, 

268,  283;  son  of,  entertained  in 

Paris  by  Talleyrand,  283. 
Roberson,  Miss  Margaret,  mantua 

maker,  65. 
Rollins,  Elbridge,  138,  182. 
RoUo  Books,  125. 
Rowell,  Major  E.,  173,  258,  320; 

George  S.,  320. 
Royall,     Mrs.     Anne,  284-287. 

Author  of  the  Black  Book,  284. 
Ruby,  the,  70. 
Rural  Socrates,  the,  86. 
Ruttkay,  Louis,  171. 

Sailing  Vessels,  321. 
Safford,  Mayor  George,  339. 
Salisbury,  Miss  Polly,  221. 
Sampson,  George,  105. 
Sampson,  Henry,  240. 


Savage,  Daniel,  19,  20;  Edward, 
19,  20,  50. 

Schools  of  Hallowell,  208-228. 
Hallowell  Academy,  208-218;  pri- 
vate schools,  Madame  Bills',  218; 
Mrs.  Boardman's,  220;  Mrs. 
Remington's,  219,  220;  Miss  Polly 
Salisbury's,  221.  Public  schools, 
224-228.  Vaughan  Female  Acad- 
emy, 222-224. 

Schools,  Public,  first  appropriation 
by  the  town,  1797;  town  school 
described  by  "Senex;"  Master 
Haskell,  225;  Master  John  Sewall, 
225;  Master  Samuel  Locke,  225, 
226.  Grammar  School,  226 ;  Mas- 
ters, D.  H.  Goodno,  Albert 
Thomas,  J.  B.  Brackett,  226. 
High  School,  226-228;  Masters, 
Jonas  Burnham,  227;  W.  H.  Sea- 
vey,  227;  Alfred  E.  Buck,  227, 
228.  New  High  School,  228. 
Classical  School,  228. 

Seavey,  W.  H.,  226. 

Separation  of  Maine  from  Massa- 
chusetts, 331.  Part  taken  by  men 
of  Hallowell,  331 ;  Digest  of  the 
Debates  of  the  Convention  for 
forming  a  Constitution  for  the 
State  of  Maine,  by  Jeremiah  Per- 
ley,  331;  committee  to  prepare 
circular  letter,  331 ;  opinion  of 
Ex-President  Adams  on  the 
subject,  332. 

Settlers,  the  first,  15-24. 

Sewall,  David,  38 ;  General  Henry, 
33,  44,  52,  194;  Jonathan,  194; 
John,  38,  199,  225;  Moses,  194; 
Dr.  Stephen  B.,  113;  Thomas,  33. 

Sheba,  Queen  of,  298. 

Sheppard,  Captain  John,  110-112; 
Sarah  Collier,  no;  children,  in  ; 
old  red  house,  in;  social  life, 
III,  112;  literary  culture,  in; 
death  at  Point  Petre,  112. 


Index 


357 


Sheppard,  Hon.  John  H.,  89,  iio- 
113;  personal  characteristics, 
and  literary  work,  11 3-1 14; 
children,  113;  descendants,  114. 
Tribute  to  Dr.  Benjamin 
Vaughan,  87-89. 

Sherburne,  James,  182. 

Sheridan,  80. 

Shipping  and  Ship-masters,  319- 
331- 

Simmons,  Captain  Daniel,  182. 

Small,  Master,  ship-builder,  321. 

Smith,  Amos,  247  ;  Rev.  Eliphalet, 
53;  Frederick  B.,  247;  Dr.  De 
Wolfe,  185;  George  R.,  342; 
Captain  Isaac,  71;  Justin  B., 
247;  Robert,  185;  "Old  Doctor," 
305;  Captain  Samuel,  319; 
Stevens,  174. 

Smoking  Pine,  The,  poem,  340, 
341. 

Social  Ivife,  from  1771  to  1797,  43; 
later  period,  265-289  ;  tributes  by- 
William  Allen,  Esq.,  Hon.  John 
H.  Sheppard,  and  John  Ward 
Dean,  265  ;  social  life  described 
by  Rev.  John  H.  Ingraham, 
John  H.  Sheppard,  John  S.  C. 
Abbott;  life  at  "Sunset  Farm," 
described  by  Madame  Bulfinch, 
272-273;  entertainment  for  chil- 
dren, 273  ;  splendid  ball  given 
by  Miss  Anne  Warren,  273,  274; 
dinner-party  given  by  Hon. 
Reuel  Williams,  278,  279 ;  inter- 
change of  hospitalities  on  the 
Kennebec,  275-281;  famous 
guests,  281-289. 

South  worth,  Captain,  agent  at 
Kennebec  trading-post,  5. 

Spaulding,  Calvin,  177. 

Spotted  Fever,  87,  116. 

Sprague,  Judge  Peleg,  142-145; 
United  States  senator,  144; 
Judge  of  District  Court  of  the 


United  States,  145 ;  grand  ovation 

at  Hallowell,  144. 
Sprague,  poet,  258;  William,  247. 
Stage  Journey  from  Boston  to  New 

York,  187. 
Stickney,  Paul,  167,  201,  259. 
Stickney,  William,  130,  167;  family 

of,  167. 

Stinson,  Mrs.  Helen  Page,  114; 
Clara,  114;  David  G.,  114;  Harry, 
114. 

Stoddard,  Amos,  first  lawyer  in 
Hallowell,  35,  38,  61,  136,  137. 

Stone,  Rev.  Mr.,  54. 

Story,  Judge,  186,  187. 

"String-Beaners,"  334. 

Stringer,  Johnny,  301,  302. 

Sullivan,  Attorney  General,  56. 

Sumner,  Judge,  55. 

Supper  Table,  Miss  Anne  Warren's, 
274, 275. 

Supreme  Judicial  Court  in  Hal- 
lowell, 55. 
Sweat,  Samuel,  194. 

Talleyrand  in  Hallowell,  96,  283. 

Tappan,  Rev.  Benjamin,  153. 

Telegraphy,  248. 

Temperance  Movement,  171. 

Tenney,  Alonzo,  181;  children,  181 ; 
Hon.  Ben,  246,  339. 

Tenney,  Samuel,  199,  181. 

Theatre  in  Hallowell,  261. 

Thomas,  Daniel,  19;  Edward  A., 
178.    Prof.  Arthur  M.,  339. 

Thompson,  George,  English  eman- 
cipationist, 164. 

Throne  of  David,  the,  128. 

Thunder-Jug,  the/,  336. 

Thurston,  Rev.  Eli,  196,  201,  202. 

"Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too,"  332. 

Titcomb,  Captain,  324;  children 
Walter,  naval  officer;  Dr.  Arthur; 
Carrie  E.;  324. 

Titcomb,  Samuel,  36. 


358 


Old  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec 


Tocsin,  the,  56,  59,  209,  250-254. 
Town  ojB&cers  of  1798,  62,  63. 
Trafton,  Rev.  Mark,  206. 
Travel,  methods  of,  44,  328-330. 
Two  Brothers,  sloop,  40. 
Tyng,  Edward,  12. 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  287,  329. 

*'Van  Ho,"  292, 

Vaughan  Family,  73-98. 

Vaughan,  Benjamin,  36;  Memoir  of, 
76;  education,  77;  early  life  and 
marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  Manning, 
78;  political  career,  79;  member 
of  Parliament,  80;  removal  to 
this  country,  81;  residence  at 
Hallowell,  83-85 ;  celebrated 
guests,  282-284;  scholar,  author, 
and  physician,  86;  personal  char- 
acteristics, 87-89 ;  death,  89;  fam- 
ily, and  descendants,  89-94. 

Vaughan,  Benjamin,  97-98;  chil- 
dren. Bertha  Hallowell,  94 ; 
Henry  Goodwin,  94,  106. 

Vaughan,  Charles,  Ksq.,  94-97; 
early  settler,  at  Hallowell,  pro- 
moter of  commerce,  agriculture, 
and  the  educational  and  religious 
interests  of  the  town,  95;  farm 
and  gardens,  95;  residence,  96; 
Mrs.  Frances  Apthorp  Vaughan, 
96;  children,  96,  97. 

Vaughan,  Charles,  Jr.,  97;  236,  237. 

Vaughan,  Rev.  John  Apthorp,  96, 
97,  105;  founder  and  principal 
of  Vaughan  Female  Academy, 
222-224 ;  rector  of  Church  of  the 
Mediator,  224, 

Vaughan,  William  of  London,  76, 
77 ;  extract  from  memoir  of,  76, 
77- 

Vaughan,  William  Oliver,  91,  92 ; 
William  Manning,  93;  William 
Warren,  97,  98;  children  of  Wil- 
liam Warren:  Mary  Kliot  and 
Samuel,  94. 


Vaughan,  Samuel,  74;  ancestry  of, 
74;  Mrs.  Sarah  Hallowell 
Vaughan,  75;  children,  75. 

Vaughan  Memorial  Bridge,  98. 

Wales,  Benjamin,  184,  327;  family 
of,  184;  Wales  mansion,  184,  327. 

Warner,  B.  F.,  182. 

Warren,  Hon.  Kbenezer  T.,  93, 
145 ;  Warren  mansion,  146. 

Washington,  chimney-piece  pre- 
sented to,  75,  76;  message  of, 
252. 

Washingtonians,  the  young,  257. 

Waterhouse,  Francis,  215,  216. 

Watts,  Captain  Samuel,  sons  Sam- 
uel, Kdward,  Lawson,  324; 
Helen,  (Mrs.  Samuel  Glazier), 
324.  . 

Webster,  Daniel,  at  Hallowell,  288. 
Weld,  Dr.,  305 

Wells,  Captain  Charles,  327,  328; 

family,  327. 
Wells,    Governor    Samuel,  315; 

William,  89. 
West,  Captain  Shubael,  70,  324. 
Weston,      Captain     Nathan,    32 ; 

Judge  Nathan,  32,  53. 
Wharves  of  Hallowell,  70,  71. 
White,    Greenlief,  177,  178;  Mrs. 

Julia  Cascolene  White,  177,  178; 

children,  178. 
Whiting,  Rev.  Thurston,  49. 
Wilberforce,  80. 

Wilde,  Samuel  Sumner,  Judge  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  1 39-141,  198. 
Tribute  by  Chief  Justice  Shaw, 
139;  family  life,  140;  children, 
140;  residence  notable  for  its 
architectural  beauty,  140. 

Willett,  Captain  Thomas,  5. 

Willey,  Rev.  Austin,  175. 

Williams,  Judge  Daniel,  31 ;  fam- 
ily, 31 ;  Kiiza,  32,  276. 
Mrs.  Daniel  Williams,  277. 

Williams,  Lord  of  Ribour,  31. 


Index 


359 


Williams,  Hon.  Reuel,  31;  family, 
31 ;  public  service,  31 ;  President 
Polk  and  James  Buchanan  enter- 
tained at  the  Williams  mansion, 
278;  octagon  room,  277;  dinner- 
party described  by  Hon.  Joseph 
H.  Williams,  278,  279. 

Williams,  Seth,  31;  Zilpha  Ingra- 
ham,  31;  hospitality  of ,  276. 

Willis,  Dr.,  141;  his  tributes  to 
Thomas  Bond,  141;  to  Peleg 
Sprague,  143,  144. 

Wingate,  130,131;  Joshua,  130; 
Joseph,  130;  their  descendants, 
131. 


Winslow,  Kdward,  founder  of  the 

Plymouth  trading-post,  2,  4,  5. 
Winslow,  John,  agent  at  the  trading 

post,  5,  12. 
Withington,  James,   214,215;  Al- 

freda  B.,  M.  D.,  215;  Augustus 

H.,  215. 

Wood,  Betsey,  poem,  by  ''Pal- 
myra," 253-254. 

Woodbridge,  Rev.  John,  115. 

Woodman,  Preceptor,  208. 

Yeaton,  Caroline,  226. 

Yeaton,  John,  169;  family,  181; 
Phineas,  176,  199. 


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